A Game Of Murder Part 2
by bellaa95
Summary: Here's the sequel to A Game Of Murder. Emily and Paige's relationship continues to grow, but a murder that leaves Paige as the suspect changes life as they know it. The usual smut/fluff/suspense.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here's the sequel everyone asked for! You can thank all the snow we've gotten over here. Rated M for the language, occasional smutty scenes (which you guys don't mind, right?), and some violence/disturbing content. Enjoy and definitely let me know what you think, good or bad. Thanks for reading/reviewing!**

"I am really, really happy right now," Paige told Emily as the two of them sat outside on the back deck, watching the sun set. It had finally cooled down and they had decided to sit out by the pool with their lemonade, talking and enjoying each other's company. It was July now, eight months after Alison's killer had been revealed and ten months since Paige and Emily had started dating. They had recently bought a house together in a nice town twenty minutes from the university, and were living together very happily. They had had even more time to focus on their developing relationship since Alison's killer had been put behind bars, and they were loving every minute of it.

During the summer months, Paige was teaching one microbiology course at Westminster University, and she was spending lots of time on her research, with her student assistant, Sydney. Emily wasn't teaching over the summer but instead had decided to try out a job as a bartender at a local restaurant only open from June to September. She had told Paige that, surprisingly, she had liked it. They were planning on taking a trip to Spencer's beach house in Massachusetts the following week, along with Spencer, Toby, Hanna, Caleb, Mona, and Noel. It was something they were both looking forward to, and although neither one of them minded the work they were doing, they both wanted the time to just relax.

"Me, too," Emily replied, taking her hand. She looked so beautiful in the setting sun, her dark hair rippling slightly in the faint breeze that had finally looked up. Paige stared at her, never failing to be amazed by her beauty. "What?"

"You're beautiful," she replied stupidly as if she was seeing Emily for the first time. Emily's smile widened.

"I love you," she replied, leaning in to kiss her passionately. Paige kissed her back hungrily, wrapping her arms around her.

"I love you, too. So much."

"You know one of the many things I love about you?"

"What?" she asked, her eyes dark with lust. Emily grinned, running her fingers down her cheek.

"You always make me feel so…. valued. Like I mean the world to you."

"That's because you do mean the world to me," Paige replied seriously. "And you deserve nothing less than to be told every day."

"You are the sappiest person I have ever met," Emily laughed, pulling her in close. "But so, so sweet. I don't know how I got so lucky."

"Last year was a crazy year. But I still wouldn't take back anything that happened because I met you. And I would do it all over."

"Okay. You're trying to charm me out of my pants," Emily teased. Paige grinned.

"You're not wearing pants."

"My bikini, then."

"How dare you accuse me of such a thing," Paige replied, untying the top of her bikini.

"Paige! We're outside!"

"So?" she asked innocently.

"People could see us. How do you know that old guy isn't watching us from next door?"

"Then let's give him a show," Paige replied, rolling on top of her. Emily's protest faded as soon as Paige began kissing her neck, a small moan escaping her lips. She could never say no, and as Paige stroked her hands up and down her sides she decided she didn't care if anyone saw them.

"Paige," she whispered, closing her eyes. She frowned when she felt Paige pull away.

"I have a better idea," she replied, taking Emily's hand. Emily looked at her curiously. "The pool."

"You want to have sex in the pool?"

"Yeah! I've never done it before," she replied excitedly. Emily couldn't help but laugh as she got up and followed her girlfriend to the pool.

"You have strange goals."

"Come on," Paige replied, sliding into the cool water. "You're telling me you've never thought about having sex in a pool?"

"Well…"

"Exactly," she replied triumphantly as Emily slid in after her.

"Shit! It's cold!" she exclaimed, her teeth chattering. She floated over to Paige and wrapped her arms around her, sighing in relief at feeling the warmth of her body against her. "But I trust you to warm me up," she continued, batting her eyelashes. Paige laughed, leaning in to kiss her.

"You bet I will," she replied, slipping her hand inside Emily's bikini bottom.

They went at it with passion, Paige making sure to keep her lips on Emily's so she didn't make too much noise. Emily was clearly enjoying herself, and based on the way she was clenching around Paige's fingers she was sure she was close. Which was why Emily was so horrified when she stopped moving her fingers only a few moments later.

"Paige!"

"I think I heard thunder," she replied, glancing behind them at the darkening clouds. Emily's mouth dropped open.

"Who cares? Finish!"

Paige set back to work, once again driving her close to the edge. But this time a louder rumble of thunder came, immediately followed by rain beginning to pour down from the sky.

"Fuck!" Paige muttered, pulling her fingers from Emily. Her girlfriend immediately began to protest.

"I'm so close," she whined.

"I don't think Mother Nature cares, babe," she replied, lifting Emily out of the pool. "I'll finish as soon as we're inside, I promise."

"You better," Emily called over her shoulder, already halfway to the house. Paige followed, letting them in and closing the door behind them. Well, she had almost been able to cross something off her list of goals.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Like this?" Sydney asked, sliding the inoculating loop across the agar. Paige smiled and nodded approvingly. She was glad Sydney had applied to be her student assistant over the summer, especially since she had had a bad habit of taking her frustrations out on her in particular during the last school year. The girl was smart and eager to please, and was probably one of Paige's favorite students of all time.

"Perfect. You really have a knack for this, Sydney. Do you think microbiology may be a field you're interested in?"

"Before last year I would have said no," she replied. "But I loved the class so much and you're such a good teacher that it's make me second guess. I'm really considering it now."

"Ah," Paige replied proudly. "Thank you. I'm very glad to hear that."

"You're a really good mentor, too."

Paige chuckled. Sydney certainly knew all the right things to say.

"I'm surprised you think so highly of me."

"Why?" she asked, genuinely confused. "Dr. McCullers, it was only one or two times. I knew it wasn't anything personal."

"You're a good kid, Sydney."

Sydney smiled in response, turning back to the plates she was working on. Paige went back to her own work, grateful for the understanding she had gotten during the events of last year. It had been a frightening experience for sure, but it had only made her stronger and her relationship with Emily closer.

"Sydney, I told you I won't be here next week, right?"

"Yeah. So, I don't need to come in?"

"Nope. You get the week off."

"Cool. My boyfriend wants us to go to Florida."

"Okay. Enjoy."

"Dr. McCullers?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you believe in soul mates?"

Paige grinned stupidly. A year ago at this time she would have said no without even having to think about it. That was right after her break up with Shana, right after her heart was shattered into a million pieces. It wasn't even that she was desperately in love with Shana, like she thought they would last forever. She had never thought that. It was just the way Shana had completely disregarded her feelings and acted like she was of no importance to her, even though they had been together for years. The way they had left one another had left her very better and sure there was no such thing as true love, because everyone else was probably as rotten as Shana. But then she had met Emily and that had all changed. Emily was sweet, loving, and as considerate as a person could be. Paige had never considered herself to be secure, but she knew Emily loved her. She did truly believe they were perfect for each other.

"Yeah," she replied. "I do."

"You know, my brother went to high school with Professor Fields," Sydney continued. "He had a huge crush on her. Ask her if she remembers Brian Driscoll."

Paige chuckled. She doubted there was a heterosexual boy in school who didn't have a crush on Emily.

"I will."

"Oh, and one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity. It will look really good on any grad school application."

"Thank you, Sydney. You've been a big help," she told her, checking her phone. "Twelve already. How about some lunch?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I'm pooped," Hanna complained, slumping next to Emily at the counter. "I am so ready to go home and shower."

"You and me both," Emily replied, wiping sweat from her forehead. The air conditioner had been broken for a week now, and the current heat wave was making the facility barely bearable to be in.

"With Paige?" she asked, smirking. Emily swatted her arm.

"Shut up."

"Oh, come on," she complained. "You don't give me enough details about your sex life."

"I give you plenty," Emily protested, pouring a drink for a customer.

"Not like I do."

"Yeah, well, you totally over share," she replied, cringing at some of the things Hanna had told her in the past.

"I'm open," she corrected. "Like you should be."

"You need hobbies," Emily replied, leaning back against the counter. Hanna grinned.

"Harassing you isn't a hobby?"

"No."

"Come on. I know you got laid last night. You were in such a good mood today. Like, that special mood you're in when you've had-."

"Oh my God, Hanna. How did I ever live with you?"

"Because I'm awesome," she replied, flashing her friend a grin. "And just think, we get to spend all next week together. And I'll definitely know when you and Paige are getting down and dirty because boy, does she scream. I never would have guessed her to be so-."

"Shut up, Hanna!" Hanna just laughed. Emily sighed, deciding maybe if she told her what she wanted to hear she would leave her alone. "Okay. We had sex in the pool last night."

Hanna squealed. Emily shushed her immediately, glad that it was a slow night for the bar.

"That's so _hot_," she replied. "How was it?"

"Perfect, as always. Well… we kind of got interrupted by that thunderstorm. We had to finish inside."

Hanna laughed. Emily rolled her eyes, although in all honestly she was amused by Hanna's antics. She did secretly like bragging about her amazing sex life, too.

"So, are you excited about the trip?" she asked, trying to change the subject. Hanna's face lit up.

"Yes! I haven't been to the beach in so long!"

"It's going to be romantic," she added, picturing her and Paige lying side by side on the beach, watching the sun set. "I can't wait."

"Shit! I need to buy more condoms before we go!"

"Hey, Hanna?"

"Yeah?"

"You're a hot mess."

"I know."

Emily shook her head, looking around the restaurant. It was a fairly slow night, most people probably spending their evening at a pool. No one wanted to eat in a place with no air conditioner in the middle of July.

"Who's that?" Hanna asked suddenly.

"Hmm?" Emily asked, turning to look at her.

"That woman back there. She's staring at you."

Emily followed Hanna's gaze. Sure enough, there was a woman in the back of the restaurant looking at her. She couldn't see her well because of the dim lighting, but she looked to be fairly young.

"Maybe she's into you," Hanna suggested. Emily snorted.

"Too bad for her. I'm taken, remember?" she asked, grinning as her thoughts drifted to Paige. Her loving, beautiful girlfriend. Hanna smiled.

"You're so pussy whipped, you know that?"

"I do. And I love every second of it," she replied. "Come on, help me restock the ice."

"Yes, sir," Hanna replied, saluting her. Emily grinned, watching her disappear into the back. Her mind was already the beach, where they would have a week to relax and have fun. She couldn't wait.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Hope you all enjoy!**

The next day, Paige was in her lab waiting for Sydney. It was a Friday and her last day before the trip, so she was planning on having them both leave early. She and Emily hadn't even started packing yet, and she wanted to have it out of the way before Sunday night so they were ready on time Monday morning. They were driving up with Spencer and Toby, and she was grateful she didn't have to worry about Hanna and Emily trying to fit everything they would want to bring into one car. That would be Mona's problem.

Her phone buzzed. Thinking it was Emily, she smiled, turning the screen on to read the message. She froze when she saw the number. It was one she recognized all too well, but one she never wanted to see again. It was Shana.

_Hey_, was all the message said. She stared at the one word, chewing viciously on her lip as she tried to decide if she was going to answer or not. They hadn't spoken in over a year now. Of course, Paige had made it clear she had never wanted to see or talk to her again, but she had a good reason. After all she had done, after she had treated her like complete and total garbage, all she had to say was "hey?" Paige angrily threw her phone back into her bag, deciding to just ignore it. She had no residual feelings for Shana, no desire for a friendship. She would be perfectly happy with never seeing her smug face again.

She could see their break up clear as day, Shana standing in front of her, arms folded, neutral expression as Paige screamed at her, in disbelief that she would throw away their relationship so easily. Over a man, too. That was the part that hurt the most. When she and Nate had become friends she had naturally trusted nothing would happen between them. Not just because Nate was a male, but because she trusted Shana. Something she still felt stupid for when she thought about it. Shana hadn't been sorry, either. She hadn't apologized, hadn't begged for a second chance. She had seemed almost proud of herself, showing no emotion as she told her girlfriend about her betrayal. And now, even though Paige was in a happy relationship with Emily, where she felt more loved and cherished than she ever had with Shana, she didn't think she could ever forgive her.

"Fuck you," she muttered aloud, running her hand through her hair. There was no way she would let Shana ruin the week she had coming up. This was her first real vacation with Emily, and she intended to enjoy every single moment.

"Sorry I'm late," Sydney panted, bursting into the lab. Paige couldn't help but laugh, already feeling better at her presence. Sydney was one of those bubbly people who could make even those having the worst of days smile.

"You're not late, Sydney. Ready to get started?"

And just like that, she forgot all about the text.

* * *

"Are they ever getting this fucking air fixed?" Hanna asked angrily, mopping sweat from her forehead.

"Watch your mouth," Emily replied, gesturing to the young couple sitting almost right in front of them.

"You're a prude."

"That's not what you said yesterday," she replied, and Hanna grinned.

"I know. I can't believe how much I got you to talk."

"Leave me alone," she replied, although she was smiling. She made her way over to where a young woman was seating herself, smiling sweetly at her. She was fairly dark skinned, with long dark hair and a slim figure. She gave Emily a knowing smirk, which made her suddenly feel uneasy. This woman was looking at her as if they were familiar with each other, but she was sure she had never seen her. "May I take your order?"

"Just a beer, please," she replied, eyeing Emily up and down. Emily cleared her throat uncomfortably.

"Is that all?" she asked, wondering what this woman's deal was.

"You must be Emily. Paige's new girlfriend."

Emily raised her eyebrows in surprise. How did she know that?

"I wouldn't say new," she replied. "We've been dating for almost a year."

"Ah."

"Do you mind if I ask how I know you?"

"Oh, you don't. I know Paige. I'm Shana."

Emily's eyes narrowed at the name. Of course. She knew all about Shana. Not good things, either. Although she knew Paige was happy with their relationship, she knew it still hurt her to be betrayed the way she had.

"Yeah. I know who you are."

"Mmm. I'm sure Paige dragged my name through the mud."

"No," Emily replied coldly. "Just told the truth. You did the rest on your own."

Shana gave her a smug smile. Emily had never wanted to punch anyone in the face more.

"Well, you can tell Paige that Nate and I broke up and I would like to talk to her."

Emily laughed, unable to help herself. She couldn't be serious.

"Why would I do that?"

"Please. I really want to talk things out and she won't answer me. I made a huge mistake and I want to tell her that."

"Yeah, well, maybe you should have done that a year ago," she snapped. "I'll get your beer."

"Who was that?" Hanna asked, watching Emily stalk back to the drink shelf, an angry expression on her face. "Em?"

"Shana. Paige's ex."

"Ohh. What did she want?"

"For me to tell Paige that she made a mistake and she wants to talk."

"What? Are you going to do it?"

"No," she replied, although deep inside she felt a little sick. What if Paige did talk to her and she did have old feelings after all? Just like that, the happy mood she had been in ten minutes earlier was ruined.

* * *

Paige was reading on the couch when Emily came home. She smiled, ready to greet her, when she noticed the sullen look on her girlfriend's face. She put the book down and got up, crossing the room to meet her.

"Em? Sweetie, what's the matter?" she asked, taking her in her arms.

"Nothing. Just hot."

"It's not nothing. Please, tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing!" she snapped, pulling away from her. Paige watched, puzzled, as Emily walked past her up the stairs. She hurried after her, determined to find out what was going on. She knew she didn't do anything. It had to have been something that happened at work.

She found Emily sitting on the bed, violently taking her work shoes off. Paige sat down next to her, giving her enough space that she hopefully wouldn't leave again.

"Em, please. Talk to me."

Emily was silent a moment, staring at the floor. Paige inched closer, sliding an arm around her. This time Emily leaned into her, sighing.

"I met Shana today."

"What?" Paige replied, surprised. The text she had gotten earlier. Shana was back in Pennsylvania. "Is that why you're so upset?"

"She really wants to talk to you. She says she made a mistake."

"And you think I'm going to dump you for her?"

"Well… no, but you have history. If you two talk-."

"I'm not talking to her, Emily. I would never, ever think of giving her a second chance and how badly she screwed me over isn't even the first reason. I love you. More than I have ever loved anyone before and that isn't going to change just because my shithead ex is back in town. You're the love of my life and nothing is going to change that. So if she comes back, you can tell her I said to go fuck herself."

Emily smiled at that. She was being ridiculous; of course Paige wouldn't leave her.

"You believe me, right?"

"Of course," she replied, hugging her. "I'm sorry. She just really unnerved me."

"She can do that. But seriously, you don't have anything to worry about. I don't want to talk to her."

"She seemed really cocky."

"She is, trust me. She doesn't give a shit about feelings, either."

"I'm really sorry about snapping at you before."

"Em, it's okay. I understand why it upset you."

"Thank you."

"I just hope you understand that you are absolutely irreplaceable. You are everything I ever dreamed of."

Emily smiled, her eyes filling with tears. Paige had to be the cheesiest, most romantic person she had ever met.

"I really love you, you know that?" she asked, burying her face in Paige's shoulder.

"I do," Paige replied, rubbing her hand up and down her back. "I love you, too. What do you say I show you how much?"

"Well," Emily replied as she felt Paige's lips on her neck. Her breath caught in her throat, her previous worries slipping away. She felt so stupid as Paige's hand slid under her shirt and cupped her breasts. Of course she wouldn't want to talk to Shana. What had she been thinking? "I can't say no to that."

"Good," Paige replied, unbuttoning Emily's work shorts. "I don't want you to worry, Emily."

"I won't," she replied, her eyes closing as Paige went to work on her breasts. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I kind of like seeing your jealous side," she replied, sliding her fingers through her wet folds.

"Jealous?" Emily asked weakly, a wave of pleasure washing over her as Paige rubbed at her clit.

"Oh, yes. You were definitely jealous."

"So?" Emily replied, a small gasp of pleasure escaping her lips as Paige slid her fingers inside of her. "I can't help it."

"I know," she cooed, kissing her softly. She began to gently move in and out of her, feeling Emily's soft warmth around her. How could she ever think she would want anyone but her? She knew it was normal for any current significant other to feel threatened by an ex, but she wanted her to understand that Shana was no threat. She wanted nothing to do with her, not by text, email, or in person. Emily had absolutely nothing to worry about, and she planned to show it.

"Paige," she whispered, gripping Paige's arm. Paige continued to push inside of her, watching the expression on her face as the pleasure built. She made sure to rub against her clit each time she went inside, watching as Emily's hips jumped.

"I love you," Paige told her as she picked up her pace, thrusting into her faster and faster. "You mean so much to me and there is no one who can ever come close to you."

Emily could only moan in response, her walls tightening around Paige's fingers. Just a few more thrusts and she came hard, clutching onto Paige's arm as she rode out her pleasure. Paige waited until she was finished before pulling her fingers out, making a show of licking them clean as Emily watched her, panting. She leaned over her, grinning smugly as she gave her a gentle kiss.

"See?" she whispered, stroking her cheek. "I love you. Only you."

"I know," Emily replied, pulling her in for a hug. "I love you too, Paige. I do trust you, really. She just kind of caught me off guard."

"I'm really sorry, Em. She had no business talking to you."

"It's okay. I overreacted."

"No," Paige replied, kissing her. "I'm glad I mean that much to you."

"You do," Emily assured her, rubbing her hands up and down her sides. "Let me make love to you."

"If you insist," Paige replied with a dorky grin, getting comfortable as Emily climbed over her.

"Oh, I do."

She took her time working her up, kissing her softly and teasing her breasts. She felt guilty for being so sulky when she had come home for work, even though Paige wasn't upset with her for it. She knew Paige loved her and she trusted her to not betray her in any way. But seeing Shana had jolted her, probably because she and Paige had a past. But the confirmation that Paige was completely uninterested definitely helped.

She kissed her way slowly down between Paige's legs, her girlfriend begging her to finally do something. Her mouth connected with her clit, listening with satisfaction as Paige let out a loud cry.

"Holy shit!" she gasped, pushing Emily's face further into her center. "Fuck, that feels good."

Emily hummed in response, licking up and down Paige's wet slit. This was just what she needed, to taste her, to feel her. To be reminded that their relationship was strong and they could make it through anything as long as they had each other.

She knew exactly what Paige liked, flicking her tongue across her clit a few times before sucking on it, listening as Paige's moans and cries of pleasure grew louder and more desperate. She loved every single thing about having sex with Paige. She loved the sounds she made, the way she would desperately grab for the sheets when she was close. Only she got to make her feel this good, no one else. That thought powered her on as she drove Paige over the edge, her cries of pleasure loud enough to alert the entire neighborhood. Emily brought her down gently before kissing her way back up to her mouth, letting her taste herself as she kissed her. Paige let out a content sigh, wrapping her arms around Emily.

"You are so good," she murmured, her lips pressed against Emily's skin. Emily smiled, running her fingers through her hair.

"I'm feeling better now," she replied. Paige smiled.

"I'm glad to hear that."

"I trust you, Paige. I trust us."

"I know you do, baby," she replied, taking Emily in her arms. "Now, let's just pretend like this never happened. Tomorrow we can start packing and then Monday we have a worry free week ahead of us. We'll get to sit out in the sun, eat as much crap food as we want… have lots of sex," she added, looking at Emily.

"Sounds like the perfect weekend," she agreed, pulling the blankets over them. Paige was right. It was going to be the perfect opportunity for them to get some much deserved rest and relaxation. And at the moment, they were both so happy it seemed like nothing could go wrong.

**A/N 2: Uh oh! Of course we know things can't go smoothly. Stay tuned!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy.**

"Em, come on," Paige whined, checking her watch. "Spencer and Toby are going to be here any minute and I don't want to be late."

"Honey, relax," Emily replied, dumping her makeup bag into her suitcase. It already looked too full to close. They were leaving in five minutes and Emily was still doing last minute packing, insisting she needed all of these things. Paige wasn't one to argue, wanting Emily to be happy, although she thought it was insane how much her girlfriend was bringing for a week's trip. Paige was definitely more practical; clothes, bathing suits, sunscreen, and their vibrator all she needed. Emily, however, was a different story. "I'm almost done."

"You really need all of that?" she asked in disbelief. Emily nodded.

"Yeah. I don't want to look like shit for you on our first real vacation together," she replied, as if the answer was obvious.

"Oh, Em…. baby, you always look beautiful. You know you don't need to get dressed up for me."

"Still. It makes me feel pretty," she replied stubbornly. Paige sighed and checked her watch again.

"Okay. I'll meet you downstairs."

Emily finally finished packing just as Spencer and Toby arrived at the house. Which Paige was extremely grateful for, because if there was one thing Spencer wasn't good at, it was waiting.

They piled their bags into the trunk and got into the back of the car, Toby giving Paige an amused look at the amount of things Emily had brought with her. Paige just glared at him, silently daring him to make a joke.

"We got you guys coffee," Spencer told her, reaching back to hand them each a cup.

"You're an angel, Hastings," Paige replied gratefully. Spencer chuckled.

"I'd like that in writing."

"So, how long is this supposed to take?" Paige asked, settling back. "Should we be there before sunset?"

"I certainly hope so," Toby replied. "Although you never know with summer traffic. Caleb said they're already running late. Something about Hanna's hair."

"Typical," Emily replied, smiling at all the memories of Hanna being late for almost everything because of her appearance. "Although Paige will tell you I almost made us late because I packed too much."

"No," Paige replied, putting her arm around her. "You can bring whatever you want as long as it makes you happy."

"Oh my God," Toby groaned as Spencer snorted. "Paige, you need help."

"Why? Because I want my girlfriend to be happy?"

"No. Because you're so fucking whipped it's a wonder you're alive."

"Fuck you."

"You guys curse too much," Spencer complained.

"You're a prude, Hastings."

"Emily, I don't think I've ever heard you curse," Spencer continued, ignoring Paige's comment.

"Oh, she does," Paige replied, grinning as Emily's cheeks turned pink.

"Uh, I don't really do it much," she replied. Paige gave her a knowing smirk.

"You know, Hastings, since you're so against cursing, are you one of those who refuses to do it even during sex? What do you say, things like 'screw me harder?'"

Toby howled with laughter. Emily couldn't help but giggle a little, too. Spencer tried to look unimpressed, although she was fighting a smile.

"I really hate you, McCullers."

"Nah," she replied, playfully kicking the back of Spencer's seat. "Hey, Toby, are there supposed to be storms tonight when we get there?"

"I have no idea. Why?"

"Just hoping for a break," she replied casually. Only Emily knew how much she hated thunderstorms; she was the only person Paige was comfortable sharing any kind of weakness with.

"Yeah, that one last night was crazy," Toby agreed. "I thought our power was going to go out for sure."

"We should just take tonight to get settled," Spencer suggested. "It will be around dinner time when we get there, so we can eat and get unpacked."

"I'm hungry," Paige announced at the mention of dinner. Her stomach rumbled.

"You're always hungry," Toby replied. "You eat like a fifteen-year-old boy."

"Toby!" Spencer exclaimed, horrified. "You don't say that to a girl!"

"It's fine," Paige assured her, chuckling. "I say it all the time. Besides, I just burn it all off."

"Lucky," Emily replied. Paige raised her eyebrows at her.

"Em, don't be ridiculous. You look perfect. And you're easily going to be the most beautiful woman on the beach," she added, kissing her.

"I'm wounded," Spencer replied.

"Shut up, Hastings."

They arrived a little after five, and surprisingly, the others weren't far behind. They dropped their bags off at the beach house and decided on who was sleeping where before they left for dinner, Spencer having everything organized as always.

"So, there's one room downstairs, two rooms upstairs, and one on the third floor," she told them. "Anyone call dibs on any room in particular?"

"Can we see them first?" Hanna asked, earning herself some laughs. "What?"

"Can we have the one on the third floor?" Paige asked.

"Sure. Sound is easily heard through this whole house, regardless of where you are," Spencer replied, giving her a pointed look. Paige blushed. "Anyone else have a request?"

They went up to their rooms to get rid of their bags before they went out to dinner. Emily gasped when Paige opened the door, pleasantly surprised by how beautiful it was. It was fairly small but very cozy, with a tiny window overlooking the ocean.

"I love it!" she exclaimed, running to the window. "This place is beautiful."

"It is," she agreed. "I've been here a couple of times, and even though this room is probably a little smaller, it's my favorite."

The implication that she had been here with Shana hung uncomfortably to the air. But Emily wasn't going to let that bother her. She couldn't be mad at Paige for having a life before they had met. Besides, they had plenty of time to make their own memories in this little room, and she was planning on getting started later that night.

"It's perfect," she replied, crossing the room to reach her. She wrapped her arms around her, pulling her in for a gentle kiss. "This is going to be so much fun."

"Absolutely," she agreed as her stomach rumbled loudly. Emily laughed.

"Okay. I think we need to get you to dinner."

They went out to a pizza place around the corner, eagerly wolfing down their food after a long day of travel. Everyone was tired despite not having actually done much yet, and Spencer's suggestion to just head back to the beach house for the night was met with enthusiasm.

As they left the restaurant, thunder clouds were rolling in. They had walked and Paige was afraid they were going to get caught in the storm, wishing they were already back at the house. Emily knew she was anxious and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, reminding her that it would be okay.

When they got back to the house, they decided on a movie downstairs once everyone was showered and ready for bed. They crowded around the TV on the floor, couples sitting close together as the thunder rumbled closer outside. Paige could feel Emily soothingly running her fingers up and down her back, enough to comfort her but discrete enough that no one would think anything of it. She really was lucky to have someone like Emily, and after the way things had ended with Shana, she had been convinced that she would never find someone who actually cared about her. She had been extremely wrong about that, and she was grateful every day.

"Did we have to watch a horror movie?" Hanna complained. They had put on Halloween, something that most of the group had been enthusiastic about.

"It's a classic, Hanna," Noel told her. "You don't like it?"

"I just don't like horror in general," she replied, shrugging. Paige agreed internally, wincing as a loud clap of thunder rumbled through the air.

"You scared of thunder, McCullers?" Toby asked, noticing her wince.

"No," she answered too quickly. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "How old do you think I am?"

Toby just grinned. Paige scowled.

"I've never seen this before," Emily interrupted to draw the attention off of Paige. The others gaped at her.

"You've never seen this?" Mona asked in disbelief. "How?"

"I just never wanted to," Emily replied, shrugging. "Horror movies aren't really my thing."

"See?" Hanna cut in. "That's why we made such good roommates."

"I thought Paige would have had you watch it," Caleb added. "She likes horror movies."

"They're okay," she replied casually as Emily grinned at her. She could see right through her.

The storm was still raging on when they all went their separate ways for bed. Paige was regretting her decision to ask for the third floor, as now the thunder sounded extra loud. She moved to the small mirror to brush her hair, not failing to notice Emily's eyes on her girlfriend settled onto the bed. She turned around, grinning.

"May I help you?" she asked. Emily just smiled back at her.

"Nope. Just looking," she replied, stretching out.

"Really?" she purred, climbing onto the bed and leaning over her. "Well, then I guess I can just go to bed."

"Absolutely not," Emily replied, pulling her down for a kiss. "We have a room to christen."

"And make sure to mess up the sheets as much as possible. Spencer hates that."

Emily laughed. Sometimes Paige acted like a little brother.

"You're so cute," she replied. "Why do you always call Spencer Hastings to her face but Spencer whenever she's not around?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "It's just our thing."

"I have to say, I really do like your friends. And I know Hanna really likes Caleb."

Paige laughed. Emily was right; Hanna and Caleb had been just as inseparable as they had the past year.

"I usually have pretty good taste in people," she replied, caressing Emily's cheek. "And you are my very favorite."

Emily smiled, feeling Paige's lips on her neck. She briefly thought back to her conversation with Shana a couple days ago, the possessive part of her thinking smugly that Paige was here with her and had no interest in her ex. She had nothing to worry about.

"Wait," Emily started suddenly, stopping Paige from dipping her head between her legs.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"You first."

They switched positions, Emily pinning Paige's arms above her head as they kissed. She wasn't done showing her possessive side, and she knew Paige wouldn't mind.

But what neither of them knew was someone was standing outside the beach house in the storm, watching and waiting. They had no idea what they were in for.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Trigger warning for talk of suicide and a past suicide attempt. **

"Stay still," Emily demanded, pushing Paige's hands back down. "No touching."

Paige looked at her questioningly. She wasn't sure where this incredibly possessive side of Emily was coming from, but she was liking it. In a somewhat torturous way. Emily had been teasing her slowly for what seemed like hours, although in reality it had only been twenty minutes. She was stroking her nipples, her sides, and every so often her clit, pleased with the way Paige was begging her for more. And each time she tried to touch her, Emily would tell her to stop and pin her hands at her side. Tonight was about her, giving Paige new memories here so she could forget about the old ones.

Maybe she was still a little insecure about the whole thing. But it was a natural way to feel she supposed, especially since Paige and Shana had been together for so long. At the same time, however, she knew Paige wanted nothing to do with Shana and was only interested in their relationship. Paige's parents and her friends all made it clear that they liked her way better, too. She didn't have anything to be jealous of, but that little bit of herself just couldn't help it.

"Em," she whined, her center throbbing. She was desperate for any kind of friction, and she needed to get off so badly she didn't even care how it was done. She wasn't sure what kind of game Emily was trying to play, but she found it strangely enjoyable, although frustrating as well.

"I think it's time to give you what you want," she cooed, sliding her fingers inside her. Paige was absolutely soaked, her wetness easily coating Emily's fingers as she began to slide them in and out of her. "We can make our own memories here."

"Oh," Paige replied weakly, realizing what this was all about. She looked up at Emily, her eyes glazed with need. "I love you, Emily."

"I love you, too," she replied as she continued to slip her fingers in and out. She rubbed Paige's swollen clit with her thumb, a low groan escaping her lips. She knew if the others could hear them they would be teased tomorrow. But she didn't really care. All she wanted was to make Paige feel good, to make her feel loved. And she was determined to do just that.

"Holy shit," Paige gasped, waves of pleasure crashing over her. She could feel her orgasm building rapidly as Emily thrust into her faster and faster. She always knew just what to do, even without her saying anything. They had that special connection where they just knew each other, something she had never had before. "Fuck me," she moaned, arching her back.

"That's what I'm doing, love."

She moaned again, not caring if everyone else could hear them as Emily pounded away inside of her. Her girlfriend was too amazing with her hands.

"Fuck!"

"Shhh," Emily whispered. "Remember, these walls are thin."

"I don't FUCK care," she gasped, the pleasure beginning to overtake her. "Oh my God Emily, don't stop!"

"I wouldn't dream of it," she cooed, her arm starting to ache. "Come for me, Paige."

She did just that, nearly exploding around Emily's fingers. There was no way to stop the sounds coming from her as rode out the pleasure, Emily giggling at how loud she was screaming. They were going to hear it tomorrow.

She brought her down gently, leaving her fingers inside her as they kissed softly. She didn't want to take them out; it felt so intimate. Their lips brushed softly, their breath mingling in the now quiet room. Emily felt content beyond words as she looked at the woman lying under her.

"I love you so much, Paige."

"I love you, too," Paige replied hoarsely. "And you know what?"

"What?"

"This night is already my favorite memory from the beach house."

Emily smiled, knowing what Paige was implying without actually saying it. She really was amazing.

"It's mine, too."

"Well," she replied, sliding her hands down Emily's back. "I think we have some unfinished business to take care of."

And with that she flipped their positions, making love to her passionately with everything she had.

* * *

"Hanna, you're going to get sunburned," Caleb warned the next day as they were all sprawled on the beach. Hanna was dressed in a very skimpy bikini and had opted to skip the sunscreen, much to Caleb's displeasure.

"Come on, Caleb. I'm not that pale."

"You're pale enough."

"Seriously, Hanna," Emily chastised. "How old are you?"

"Leave me alone, Mom."

"Well, this is fun," Spencer interrupted loudly. "Perfect beach weather."

"Agreed," Paige replied. "How cold do you think the water is?"

"You tell us," Mona told her. "Go test it."

"No way!"

"Yeah, go test the water!" Toby agreed gleefully. Paige stuck her tongue out at him.

"Leave her alone, Toby," Emily replied. "What I do in class is if a student volunteers someone, I pick them. Since you volunteered my girlfriend, you can do it."

"Seems fair," Spencer agreed. Toby's mouth dropped open.

"Spence!"

"What?" she replied innocently, winking at Paige.

"Fine," Toby sighed, getting up. "Only because I'm not a pussy."

"You wish," Paige replied. He glared at her before stalking off down the beach.

"This is so awesome," Hanna remarked, stretching out on the blanket. She was lying on her stomach, her bikini top untied because she complained about tan lines.

"You're going to look like a lobster later," Mona replied. Hanna groaned.

"Lay off it, guys. You're not going to change my mind."

"Yeah, remember two summers ago? When she got such bad sunburn she couldn't even get dressed?" Spencer asked, and Paige laughed at the memory. She had forgotten spending a week here with Hanna so long ago, because she hadn't seen her much after until Emily.

"How could I forget that?"

"And Shana made her sit in a milk bath," she added, laughing. She froze when she realized what she had said. "Uh, I'm sorry."

"You're allowed to say her name," she replied, glancing at Emily. Emily smiled gently at her and nodded. "But maybe we should call her You Know Who, like Lord Voldemort."

"That sounds appropriate," Caleb agreed.

"We like you so much better," Mona told her. "I never liked Shana."

"I know," Paige sighed. "You only told me every day."

"Well, sorry. You deserve someone who loves you, like Emily."

Emily put her arm around Paige as a confirmation. Paige squeezed her hand, showing that she understood. She didn't know why Shana was being mentioned so much all of a sudden, but it had all started with that text last week. It was just weird. Nothing to harp on though, and if Emily wasn't going to let it bother her, then neither was she.

"Holy shit!" Toby shouted as he came running back to them, dripping wet. "It's freezing!"

"Don't be such a wimp," Spencer replied dismissively, handing him his towel.

"I'm serious. Go see for yourself."

"I'm thirsty," Hanna announced. "Who wants to go get me lemonade?"

"I will when you put sunscreen on," Caleb retorted. Hanna scowled.

"Actually, I kind of want some, too," Emily agreed. "I can get it."

"I'll get it," Paige offered, scrambling to her feet. Noel and Caleb exchanged smirks. "I was going to ask if anyone else wanted some, but never mind."

"I'm sorry," Caleb replied, getting up. "I'll come with you."

"Are we getting some for everyone?"

"May as well."

"Okay. We'll be back in ten."

They trudged up to the lemonade stand on the boardwalk. The young man at the stand had his back to them as they stood there, waiting for him to take their order. When he turned around, Paige gasped and Caleb's eyes narrowed.

"Nate?"

"Oh. Hi, Paige," he replied, his gaze drifting nervously to Caleb. "How have you been?"

"Like you care."

"Listen, Paige, I'm sorry."

"I'm sure. And, as an answer to your question, I am very happy with someone who is not a lying cheater."

"Shana broke up with me, if that helps."

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?"

"No. I just wanted you to know."

"I really couldn't care less."

"She's with some other girl now. Jenna, I think her name is."

"That's nice."

"I guess once a cheater, always a cheater."

"Yup. Which is why you were an idiot."

"Eight lemonades, please," Caleb cut in. Nate looked at them a moment before digging a number of lemonade bottles out of an ice bin.

"I just wanted to give you the heads up that she's here," he replied. "I saw her yesterday."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah. All she could talk about towards the end of our relationship was talking to you. I don't know where this other girl comes in."

"If you see her again, tell her not to come near me," she replied, scooping up half of the bottles. She turned around and started on her way back, Caleb giving Nate a dirty look before following her.

"Paige?"

"I'm fine, Caleb," she replied honestly. Sure, the whole thing still hurt and pissed her off. But it hurt her pride, not the fact that she had lost Shana. She didn't like being lied to, and being cheated on had made her feel worthless. But she had Emily now, and she felt valued again. She was happy and content, but not open to forgiveness. She didn't forgive easy, and she wasn't about to now.

"You sure?"

"Yes. I don't miss her at all. You know how happy I am with Emily."

"I really am glad you found someone like her," he replied. "You deserve it."

She smiled. He really was a good friend, always looking out for her.

"Thanks, Caleb."

Paige opted not to tell Emily about running into Nate or the fact that Shana was supposedly here, too. She had to wonder if that was coincidence, or if Shana knew this was the week they always came to the beach house and had come here in the hopes of bumping into her. She didn't understand why she wanted to talk to her so desperately all of a sudden. Something didn't seem right.

They had a fun rest of the day. It was well after dinner time when the usual summer thunder clouds started to roll in, and they decided it was time to pack up and head back to the house. They called it an early night and went to their respective rooms, tired and wanting to change out of wet and sandy bathing suits.

"I want to shower," Paige whined, looking outside. "The timing of these things always sucks."

Emily chuckled, remembering how they had been interrupted in the pool the other day. She wrapped her arms around Paige's waist, kissing the side of her face.

"You probably have time for a quick shower."

"What if the storm starts?"

"Then I'll come get you."

"What if I get fried?"

"I'm not going to let that happen, baby. Go shower."

"Well…. okay," she replied reluctantly. "But I'm going to be super fast."

Emily watched in amusement as Paige literally ran out of the room. She really did hate thunderstorms.

She watched outside carefully, looking for even the tiniest lightning bolt. It was definitely much windier outside than it had been before, and she found herself drawn to the sand whipping around the beach. That was when she noticed a figure walking along the beach, dressed in strangely warm clothes for the summer. The figure was dressed all in black, from head to toe, and they were walking with their head down so Emily couldn't see a face. She looked at them curiously, trying to figure out why anyone would be dressed like that in the middle of July. That and why they would be walking on the beach with a storm approaching.

She couldn't tear her eyes away. She stared, hoping they looked up so maybe she could get a glimpse of their face. But it was too far away for her to really see, so it probably wouldn't help anyway. But she kept watching, fear prickling the back of her neck. She didn't know why this figure gave her such a bad feeling, but it made her feel cold inside.

"Made it!" Paige exclaimed, bursting into the room. She was wrapped in her towel, so eager to get back to the room that she hadn't even brought her clothes. "Emily?"

"Paige, come look at this," she replied. Paige joined her at the window, raising her eyebrows when she saw what Emily was looking at.

"Why are they dressed like that in the middle of the summer?" she asked.

"No idea. It just…. something feels weird."

Paige had to agree. A lot of things had been seeming weird lately.

"Have you seen their face?"

"No. Do you think we should go out there and see if they need help?"

"Absolutely not. Something isn't right."

At that moment, the figure looked up, and they both gasped and jumped back. It was too dark outside to see a face, but it looked as if the person was staring right at them.

"What the fuck?" Paige exclaimed, pulling the curtains closed. "Did you see that?" Emily nodded. Paige peered out through the curtains. The figure was still staring. "That's fucked up."

She threw the door open and started down the hall to the stairs. Emily followed her, wondering if she still realized she was in her towel.

"Um, honey? Maybe you should put your clothes on," she suggested as Paige marched to the front door. She flung it open and stepped onto the porch, looking around as the wind blew viciously around them. The figure was gone, as if they had vanished into thin air. They both stood, staring in disbelief as thunder rumbled ominously in the distance.

"What the fuck? Where'd they go?" Paige asked, baffled. Emily shrugged.

"I don't know. But please, let's get back inside."

Paige nodded, reluctantly following Emily back into the house and closing the door behind them. They went back up to their room, both of them disturbed by what had just happened. Someone had been watching them, and then had run before they had had the chance to see who.

Emily got settled in bed while Paige changed into her sleep shirt. She glanced out of the window again before settling down next to Emily, stroking circles on her chest.

"Em?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to talk to you. About Shana."

"What?" she asked nervously.

"No, no. Nothing like that," she assured her quickly. "I want to tell you the story. Of what happened."

"Okay," she replied, both excited and a little nervous that Paige was ready to be open. Paige was not someone who liked to share feelings, something she had discovered over the past year. She wondered what the reason behind it was. "I'm listening."

"We met when I went to college. I came out….. I was outed my senior year of high school by this girl I thought was my best friend. Her name was Clara and I had such a pathetic puppy crush on her. I think I realized it my junior year. I followed her everywhere, did everything she asked me. I really thought I was in love. She… she strung me along, too. Let me kiss her a couple times, and I thought for sure she loved me back." She paused a moment, swallowing hard. That was still a painful memory. "So I confessed to her. I told her I loved her and I asked her if she felt the same way. I said if she wanted to, I would be more than happy to give us a chance. She…. she recorded my confession on her phone. She told me that she was going to tell my parents what a disgusting pervert I was."

"Oh, Paige….."

"That was when I tried to kill myself. I thought my parents would never want to even look at me again. So I swallowed a bottle of pills and ended up in the ER. I told my parents everything then and they were surprisingly okay with it. Probably they were afraid if they weren't I'd do something like that again, but it was good enough for me. They would always ask me if I liked anyone, always told me I could bring anyone I wanted home."

"What happened to Clara?"

"She died right after graduation. She had leukemia."

"Oh my God, Paige… I'm so sorry," she whispered. She couldn't believe the past this poor woman had.

"The worst part was, I wasn't that sad about it. I mean, I saw her as my first major crush, so that part hurt. But mostly I saw her as someone who betrayed me, who knew how fragile I was at the time and that I would try to kill myself if my parents found out. I hated her."

"I'm sorry," she replied, swallowing a lump in her throat. She hugged Paige tightly.

"So, I went to Brown in the fall. I wanted to start over, and go into college out and proud. That's where I met Shana. We were friends for a while first, and we didn't start dating until junior year. I was happy and excited to be in a new relationship, and I thought I loved her. I thought she loved me. But I don't think we were ever meant to be. We stayed more because we wanted someone than because we were in love. But…. I thought I still meant something to her. And then three years later she told me she was cheating on me. With a man. She was so smug about it, too. So matter of fact. There was no remorse, no apology. It was like she just didn't care, like everything we had meant nothing to her."

"Paige, I… I had no idea," she replied softly. "I mean, I knew the gist of what happened between you, but…. that must have really hurt. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing, Em. You're the one person who's never screwed me over. I know I can count on you."

"Always, baby," she whispered, holding her close. "I will never hurt you. I'll always stand by you, no matter what."

"I know you will," she replied, smiling. "And you know what? All of that shit that happened to me is worth it. Because I met you."

"You're so cheesy," she laughed, her eyes filling with tears. "I love you."

"I love you, too. I, uh, I wanted to tell you all of that because I don't want to keep secrets from you. I saw Nate today. The man Shana left me for."

"What?"

"He was working the lemonade stand. He told me she left him, like I was supposed to feel sorry for him or something. Anyway, he said he saw her here. I wanted to give you the heads up."

"Oh. Well… thank you for telling me. I'm glad you were honest."

"It felt good to tell you," she admitted. "I don't usually share feelings, in case you haven't noticed. Other than my parents and Caleb, you're the only person who knows about Clara."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It hurt too much to talk about. Really, I think what she did was worse than what Shana did. Shana had no emotion and just didn't give a shit about hurting my feelings. But Clara knew I was cutting, and she knew I was going to really hurt myself if people found out. And she didn't care."

She choked up, looking away so Emily couldn't see her tear filled eyes. Emily wrapped her arms around her and held her close, trying to soothe her. She knew words wouldn't help. They couldn't take away her pain. All she could do was be here to comfort her.

"Thank you for listening," she whispered finally, rolling over to face her. "I needed to get all of that out there."

"Thank you for telling me," she replied, touching Paige's cheek. "You and Caleb are really close, aren't you?"

"Yeah. He's a great friend," she agreed. "He's always been there when I need him. I think Hanna's found a really great guy."

"And I've found a really great girl," she replied, kissing her forehead.

"It is pretty amazing. I used to think I would never be happy. And now I'm the luckiest woman in the world."

"Funny," Emily replied, snuggling close to her. "I feel the same way."

**A/N 2: Thank you for all the feedback, guys! Glad you're enjoying the story!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I wanted to get this one up before the Superbowl, otherwise it probably wouldn't get posted today. So, enjoy the chapter and enjoy the game if you like football! **

"I wasn't dreaming!" Paige insisted, starting to get annoyed. It was the next morning at breakfast, and she was telling the group about the mysterious figure she had seen last night on the beach, dressed all in black. No one seemed to believe her, and since Emily was upstairs showering, she had no one to back her up. "I know what I saw. They stared up at us and then when we went downstairs to look they were gone."

"You're crazy," Toby replied. Spencer elbowed him so hard his juice spilled all over the table. "Hey!"

"Toby!"

"What he means, is that it sounds strange," Caleb replied. "Not that you're crazy."

"I know that," she snapped. "I'm not that fragile. Just wait till Emily gets down here. She'll tell you."

"Paige, sweetie, it doesn't make any sense," Mona told her. "Why would someone be dressed in a sweatshirt in the middle of the summer and standing on the beach during a storm?"

"I don't know! But it was really freaky and I'd really appreciate it if you would just believe me!"

"I believe you," Hanna chimed in, setting her coffee cup down. "I saw someone last night, too."

They all stared at her. She shrugged, picking up an apple from the fruit bowl.

"Yeah. It was when I got up to go to the bathroom. I was half asleep so I thought maybe I dreamed it, but if Paige saw it too, I guess I didn't."

"What happened?" Paige asked. "Did they do anything?"

"No. They were just kind of standing there, their back to me."

"What time?"

"Maybe one?"

"So they were still out there. Emily and I saw them around ten. Did this person hang out here all night?"

"I don't get it," Spencer cut in. "Someone's lurking around outside? Why?"

"I wish I knew," Paige replied. "But they stared at me and Emily, like they knew we were there. And then when we went outside to look they were gone."

Spencer chewed on her lip. Paige knew she was starting to believe.

"It just doesn't make sense. Why would anyone do that?"

"It could just be a coincidence," Toby suggested. "Someone who happened to be wandering around. I can take a look around."

"Please," Spencer replied. "I need to make sure something more… sinister isn't going on."

"Emily!" Paige exclaimed as Emily entered the kitchen. "Hanna saw it, too!"

"Saw what?" she asked, frowning. "Oh. Black Hoodie?"

"Yes! I told you I wasn't dreaming," she replied triumphantly. Emily looked nervous as she sat down next to her girlfriend.

"This is creepy," she sighed. "Hopefully whoever it is left."

"I'm sure," Spencer assured her. "Don't worry, Emily. I'm sure they won't come back."

* * *

"Paige, get back here!" Emily demanded shrilly as Paige and Caleb waded farther and farther into the ocean. "You're going to get eaten by a shark!"

"Hey, thanks for the concern!" Caleb called back sarcastically. Emily flipped him off.

"Paige, I'm serious!"

"Relax! It's not even that deep," she replied, showing that the water only came up to her breasts.

"Please," she begged. Paige sighed and reluctantly began wading back to her. She didn't think it was anything to worry about, but Emily obviously did, and she looked absolutely terrified.

"Em, baby, do you have any idea how likely it is that there are sharks in this area?" she asked when she approached her panicked girlfriend. Emily scowled at her.

"Have you ever seen the movie 'Jaws?'"

Paige laughed, pulling her in for a kiss. Emily sighed, resting her head on her shoulder.

"You worry too much, Em."

"Well, you don't worry enough."

"I guess that's true," she admitted. "I won't do it again. Sound fair?"

"Whipped," Caleb replied as he walked past her.

"Shut the fuck up."

"Sounds fair," Emily agreed. "I'm sorry, but bad things happen when you go out too far. Sharks, rip currents….."

"You're cute," Paige replied, kissing her forehead. "I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat."

Emily followed her, grateful to have her distracted from the water. Paige was way too daring for her liking and not cautious enough. While sometimes her fearlessness was sexy, other times it terrified Emily that she would do something stupid.

"How are you holding up?" Emily asked as they got back to the blanket, chuckling at Hanna lathering sunscreen all over herself. She had gotten sunburn yesterday as everyone had predicted, and had finally agreed to protect herself.

"Fine, thank you," she replied sourly. Emily snickered, opening the cooler.

"Did you ever find anything?" Paige asked Toby as she and Emily settled down on the blanket.

"No. Just footprints. But any of us could have made those. I wouldn't worry about it. Whoever it was probably won't come back."

* * *

It stormed again that night, canceling any outdoor activities they had been planning on. They went to dinner and then decided to go to the ice cream parlor around the block. It was a nice place, and had a 1950s look to it. It was the perfect place to try and ride out the storm.

"This is so good," Hanna moaned, stuffing a spoonful of cookies and cream into her mouth. "Caleb, you have to try this."

"You said I wasn't allowed to have any," he protested. "That's why I got my own dish."

"I don't want to be pathetic like them," she complained, gesturing to Paige and Emily, who were splitting theirs. Emily paused, her spoonful of chocolate fudge halfway to her mouth.

"What? Us?"

"Uh, yeah. You're sharing your ice cream."

"Did you see how much I ate at dinner?" Paige asked. "I only need a little."

"I used to share with Toby," Spencer chimed in. "But then he started eating it all on me."

"You always order vanilla swirl. I love vanilla swirl," he replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"I could never share ice cream," Mona agreed, pulling her cup away as Noel tried to dip his spoon in. "Stop!"

"I need to pee," Paige announced, standing up.

"Thanks for announcing," Spencer replied sarcastically.

"No prob. Save me a little more," she told Emily.

She walked to the back where the bathrooms were and stepped inside, her eyes adjusting to the extremely dim light. She looked to see if there was another light switch but couldn't find one, so she ducked into one of the stalls, suddenly feeling uneasy.

While she was in there, the door opened. She froze, listening as slow footsteps walked close to the stall she was in. She flushed the toilet and opened the door, only to come face to face with Shana.

"Fuck!" she exclaimed, half out of anger and half out of fear. "You scared me!"

"I'm sorry. Paige, I-."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked, in disbelief that this was happening. "Are you following me?"

"No. Please, just hear me out. I can't let Jenna see me talking to you."

"Leave me alone."

She pushed past her and left the bathroom, taking a deep breath as she went back to their table. She slid back into her seat next to Emily, gratefully stuffing a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.

"I'm cold," Hanna announced, putting her spoon down. Everyone laughed. Hanna was always complaining about the temperature.

"It sounds like it's lightening up out there," Spencer remarked, trying to see out the window. "Maybe we should make a run for it while it's fairly calm."

They went back to the beach house, Spencer making a show of locking the door since everyone was anxious about the mystery person on the beach. They went their separate ways to get ready for bed, rejoining in the living room for a movie. It was late when they all went up to bed, muttering their good nights and closing doors.

"Em? Honey, what are you looking at?" Paige asked, walking over to where Emily was staring out of the window.

"Nothing."

"Are you looking to see if that… if they're out there again?" she asked, joining her at the window.

"Yeah," she admitted. Paige gently squeezed her shoulders.

"It's okay, love. I'm sure it was just a one time thing," she assure her, although she didn't believe it herself. "Come on, let's not sit here harping on it all night."

"What else did you have in mind?" she asked, grinning. Paige pulled her up, wrapping her arms around her.

"There is something."

"We're not going to be able to walk by the time this trip is over."

"Walking is for chumps," Paige replied, pulling Emily onto the bed with her. They kissed passionately, Emily moaning softly as she rubbed herself onto Paige's legs. She could feel Paige's fingers wandering up her back, stroking her skin lightly. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she replied, looking down at her. She had kept thinking about everything Paige had told her the night before. Paige was so incredibly strong despite everything she had been through, and she was grateful that she was still here. She hated that her girlfriend had gone through so much, and she hated the people who had caused her pain. She was in awe of the woman Paige was, and she wanted to make sure she knew it every single moment of every single day. "I want you to know how… how strong I think you are."

"Em, you don't need to feel sorry for me," she replied, giving her a small smile. "It's okay."

"I'm not saying that to make you feel bad, Paige. I'm serious. I can't imagine having to handle everything you did."

"It's okay now," she replied, soothingly running her hands up and down Emily's sides. "I have you."

"And you always will," Emily whispered, leaning down to kiss her softly.

Their lovemaking was gentle but passionate, showing the love and connection they had. It was late when they finally drifted off to sleep wrapped in each other's arms, exhausted but content.

It was close to two in the morning when Paige was woken up a loud clap of thunder. She sat up quickly, gasping to get her breath back as she looked outside at the wind. She had been having a bad dream but she couldn't remember about what. It was all a blur.

She got up slowly so she didn't wake Emily, pulling her nightshirt on before heading to the bathroom. She was wide awake and not ready to go back to sleep, but she made her way back to the room anyway, stretching as she peered out of the window. She frowned, squinting into the dark to see someone walking slowly through the sand, just like the night before. She kept watching as the figure stopped walking and turned so they were facing each other. She couldn't see the person's face, but she felt a chill go through her nonetheless. This wasn't a coincidence. This was someone who knew them, watching them.

She quickly left the room and went down to where Toby and Spencer were staying. She shook Toby awake, jumping herself as he gasped and pulled the covers up further to cover the fact that he wasn't wearing clothes.

"Paige, what the fuck?"

"They're back," she hissed. "Whoever it is outside."

"I, uh, you need to give me a second."

"It's okay," she replied, smirking at him. "I'm not wearing anything under this, either."

He followed her out to the sunroom and opened the door, stepping outside with his gun in his hands. He turned to her, motioning for her to step back.

"Stay inside," he instructed. She nodded, watching as he walked off into the howling wind.

"Paige?"

She jumped, whirling around. Emily was standing behind her, looking half asleep.

"Baby, it's okay," she soothed, going over to her.

"What's going on?"

"Toby's just taking a look around outside. Nothing to worry about."

"Did you… did you see them again?"

Paige nodded. Emily frowned.

"This is weird, Paige. Something isn't right."

"Toby will take care of it," she assured her. "Why don't you go back up to bed?"

"I'm scared," she replied. Paige pulled her into her arms, holding her close. She didn't blame her and if she was being honest, she kind of was, too. This whole thing was creeping her out and bringing back memories of being stalked the previous year.

"It's okay, Em. I promise."

"I couldn't find anyone," Toby told them as he came back inside. Paige's shoulders slumped.

"You believe me, right?"

"Yes. I didn't find a person, but I found this."

He showed them a black glove. Paige raised her eyebrows.

"I guess that came from our mystery person?"

"Probably. I'll keep it with me. In the mean time, I wouldn't worry."

"Toby, there's someone lurking around here at night. How are we not going to worry?"

"Hey, you're on the third floor. If someone comes in you'll know last."

"I just don't get it. They keep looking right at me."

"Paige, relax. You're being paranoid."

"I don't think I am," she argued.

"There's nothing I can do. I'm sure everything is okay. Just go back to sleep."

"Fine," she sighed. "Come on, Em."

They went back upstairs, Emily closing and locking the door behind them. They crawled back into bed and huddled under the covers, neither one of them able to fall back to sleep.

"Toby's probably right," Paige told her girlfriend, who was peering out of the window. "Let's not worry."

"They're still out there," Emily replied softly. Paige looked too and saw that Emily was in fact right; the hooded figure was back on the beach, their back to the window.

"There's nothing we can do," Paige reminded her, although she was afraid. "Lie down, sweetie. It will be okay."

Emily reluctantly did, snuggling against Paige. She was afraid. She didn't know of what yet, but she knew she should be.

"I don't know if I can fall back to sleep."

"How about a back rub?" Paige asked. Emily smiled slightly.

"I guess I can't say no to that."

She rolled over, feeling Paige's hand gently stroking her back. It worked, and before she knew it, she was drifting back to sleep, Paige not far behind.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews guys! Things start getting dramatic soon, so get ready!**

Emily was woken up by soft kisses being pressed to her neck, hair tickling her skin. She slightly opened her eyes, a smile crossing her face when she saw Paige leaning over her, kissing her gently to wake her up.

"Well, look who it is," she greeted her, smirking at her sleepy girlfriend. "I tired you out last night, huh?"

"You always do," Emily replied, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. "Did I over sleep?"

"No, you're good. We still have another hour before the others want to leave."

"I guess I should get up, then."

"Hold it," Paige replied, pinning her to the bed. "I have a better idea."

"Paige, no," she sighed, trying to protest. "We'll never be on time. I wanted to shower."

Paige pouted, looking at her. Emily sighed dramatically. She could never say no to those giant brown eyes.

"Fine. But make it quick."

It was another forty minutes before they finally made it out of their room, giggling as they made their way downstairs. Everyone else was there, dressed and ready to go.

"Look who finally decided to join us," Spencer greeted them, grinning. "I think I might want to burn that bed when we leave."

"Fuck you. We're all doing it," Paige replied, and everyone else in the room suddenly became extremely interested in their phones. "See?"

"Anyway," she replied dismissively. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, yeah."

They all left the house, making their way down to the board walk. None of them noticed the figure watching from the side of the house.

Things were going smoothly until lunchtime, when they went to the stand at the edge of the beach. Paige could see who was already standing there as she approached, her shoulders slumping. Mona and Caleb, who never agreed about anything, rolled their eyes at each other as Spencer cursed under her breath.

"What the fuck is she doing here?"

"Nice to see you too, Spencer," Shana replied as Paige stared at Spencer in surprise. The great Spencer Hastings did not curse unless she was really upset.

Emily understood what all the distress was about as she recognized the woman from the bar. It was Shana, Paige's ex. Someone who had caused her a lot of heart ache, something she didn't need any more of. She had some nerve showing up here, and Emily was finding it hard to just mind her own business as they all stood there, looking at one another.

"If you all wouldn't find, I'd like to talk to Paige without you all staring at us."

"Absolutely not," Paige replied curtly as Emily gripped her arm. "I don't know what sick game you think you're playing, but you need to stop following me. I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to see you. And I'd really appreciate it if you would leave me alone."

"Paige-."

"It's been over a year, Shana. You didn't give a shit then and I don't understand why all of a sudden you give a shit now."

"You'd understand if you would just let me-."

"I don't care! Don't you get that?" People were starting to stare. She couldn't stop herself though, all of her hurt bubbling to the surface. "You don't get to just crawl back here like nothing happened! You really fucked me over and I don't want to see you! I don't even need you. Because I'm in love with someone ten hundred times the person you will ever be. So go home and stop fucking following me around!"

It was silent. Everyone in the vicinity was staring at them, waiting to see if the fight was going to escalate. Shana pursed her lips and nodded, looking around at each of them.

"Fine," she replied softly. "I think you're going to be sorry."

She walked away, leaving them all staring after her. Paige clenched her fists, anger welling inside of her. She didn't know why her ex was suddenly so interested in talking to her, but each time she saw her she was only reminded of how worthless she had felt when she had found out she had been cheated on. If it weren't for Emily, she didn't think she would have ever come to feel valued.

"Paige?" Emily asked softly. "Honey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied, smiling at her girlfriend. It wasn't a lie, either. She was okay, and as long as she had Emily by her side, that wouldn't change.

"Can we eat now?" Hanna asked, and the mood was lightened as everyone laughed.

It was late by the time they got back to the beach house. The wind was picking up, a signal that yet another storm was on its way. Sand whipped across the beach and made the night unseasonably chilly as they waited for Spencer to unlock the door, shivering in their wet bathing suits. When she opened the door, her attention was caught by an envelope sitting on the floor, as if someone had slipped it under the door.

"What's that?" she asked as Toby bent to pick it up. He wordlessly handed it to Paige.

"Paige?" Mona started. "I know you may not want to, but if that's from Shana….. maybe you should read it. There must really be something she wants you to know."

She looked at the envelope for a moment, taking a deep breath. Mona was right. Maybe it had nothing to do with their relationship. Even if it did, it wouldn't change her mind. She had to admit she was curious.

"Okay," she agreed, opening the envelope. She backed away so she could have privacy, reading the letter.

_Paige, I understand why you don't want to talk to me, and I really am sorry. I know you think I'm not, but you have to believe that isn't true. I did love you and I know I made an awful mistake by leaving you. One that I can never take back and one that you will never let me make right. I have been trying so hard to talk to you for a reason. I think I am in danger, and in case something happens to me, I want you to know how sorry I am and I regret what happened every second of every day. I wish you and Emily all the happiness in the world. Shana._

She stared at the letter, multiple thoughts and emotions racing through her mind. Shana hadn't been trying to win her back. She had just been trying to make things right, to get Paige to forgive her. And she had done nothing but brush her off. Guilt overtook her as she reread the letter. Yes, Shana had done a horrible thing, and she didn't deserve a second chance romantically speaking. But the least she could have done was hear her out.

The danger part bothered her, too. She didn't know what that meant or how serious it was, but it made her feel uneasy. She handed the letter to Toby.

"What do we do?" she asked softly. "I think she needs help. That's why she came back. I wouldn't listen."

"Paige, you can't blame yourself," Caleb told her. "You reacted p-."

"It doesn't matter, Caleb. She could be in trouble."

"Call her," Emily suggested, drawing everyone's attention. "See if she answers."

"Emily…"

"Paige, please. If she's in trouble, I want you to help her. I trust you."

She nodded, pulling her phone from her bag. She dialed Shana's number and waited. No one answered.

"Maybe she was making it up so you'd listen?" Hanna suggested. Paige shook her head.

"I don't think so."

"There isn't really anything we can do," Toby told her. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

Paige didn't reply. Something told her that wasn't true, and she didn't want to accept that she couldn't do anything about it. She had been told the same thing about Alison last year.

"I'll figure something out," Paige replied. "She'll answer eventually."

"I'm tired," Emily announced. "I'm going to get ready for bed. Are you coming, Paige?"

"Yeah," she replied, stuffing the letter in her bag. "I'm coming."

They said their good nights and went their separate ways. Paige closed their door, watching Emily as she pulled her pajamas out of the drawer.

"Em?" she started meekly. "Are you angry at me?"

"What?" Emily asked, genuinely surprised. "No. Why would I be angry at you?"

"This whole Shana thing."

"Paige, none of this is your fault. You didn't ask her to come here. I know it upsets you to see her. And I know I don't have to worry about you leaving me."

"You definitely don't," she agreed.

"Anyway, I don't want to be one of those possessive girlfriends. If you and Shana can patch things up enough to be friends, that's okay with me."

Paige smiled at her girlfriend. Emily was so sweet and understanding. She didn't think she would be that secure if the situations were reversed.

"Thanks, Em. I don't think I want to be friends, though. I just want to make sure she's okay."

"I understand," Emily told her, kissing her softly. "I love you, Paige."

"I love you, too."

"Now, what do you say we get changed and cuddle for a little bit?"

"I like the sound of that."

* * *

Paige took a deep breath, trying to calm herself as she sat in bed next to Emily. She had had another nightmare, although it hadn't been clear like the last, and she could feel herself starting to panic, just like back when Alison was killed. She slid out of bed and crept down the stairs, opening the door and stepping outside for some fresh air. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, starting to feel calmer as the wind whipped around her face. This was exactly what she needed.

She stepped onto the sand, walking around a bit as she calmed down. It was cold outside and she felt better, so she started back for the house when she suddenly got the strange feeling that someone was watching her. She slowly turned around, and had her suspicions confirmed when she saw a figure standing off in the distance, clouded by the mist. Not wanting to stick around and find out who it was, she turned around and ran back to the house, slamming the door behind her.

"Paige?"

She nearly screamed when she noticed Toby sitting in the chair, eating a bowl of cereal. She put her hand on her chest, taking a deep breath.

"You scared the shit out of me, Toby."

"What were you doing?" he asked curiously.

"Nothing. Just going for a walk."

"In the middle of the night?"

"I had a nightmare. Why are you playing twenty questions?"

"Sorry. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied, and with that she walked back up to her room. When she opened the door Emily was just getting up, letting out a sigh of relief when she saw her.

"I was just about to go looking for you. Where were you?"

"I had a bad dream. I went out for a walk."

"By yourself?" Emily asked incredulously. "Paige, that…. whoever that person is could be lurking out there. It could be a serial killer or something."

"Honey, relax. I'm fine."

"Next time, wake me up," she instructed as Paige climbed into bed. "If you have to go outside I can at least go with you."

"Em, don't worry. I don't-."

"Paige, please. Do you not remember everything that happened last year?"

"How could I forget?" she asked, pulling the covers up.

"Exactly. It's not safe to just go walking around by yourself at night."

"Okay. I won't."

"Good," she replied, snuggling up against her. "Are you okay to go back to sleep?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm fine," she promised gently, kissing her softly. "Go to sleep, okay?"

Emily smiled and nodded. Paige closed her eyes, feeling safe in Emily's arms, and it wasn't long before she was able to drift off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

None of them were expecting what happened the next morning. When Paige and Emily went downstairs, Spencer and Toby were standing by the door, talking in hushed voices. There were two police officers walking around outside, much to their alarm.

"What's going on?" Emily asked. Paige was busy trying to see out of the window.

Spencer and Toby glanced at them before glancing at each other. Paige stared as she waited for an answer, although she had a sinking feeling she knew.

"Paige, there's something you should know."

"Just tell me, Spencer."

"There's a body outside," Spencer told them calmly. Paige sank down into a chair as Emily gasped.

"What?"

"The police came to the door before. A jogger found it."

"Did you see it?" Paige asked softly. Spencer shook her head.

"Paige, it's okay," Emily soothed.

"It's not," she replied, her mouth dry. "I know who it is."

"Paige-."

"I need to see."

She got up, pushing her way past Spencer and out the door. She couldn't see well from where she was standing, but she could see enough to have her suspicions confirmed. It was Shana.

The rest of the morning happened in a blur. She had helped the officers identify the body and was then led inside by Emily and made to sit down. She was vaguely aware of people talking around her, but she didn't respond. She didn't cry. She didn't scream. She was just numb. Emily sat by her the whole time, holding her hand. The police wanted to talk to her at the station, given that she had known her, and Emily offered to go with her. She didn't want to do it alone.

So they went, Emily sitting out in the living room while Paige talked to a Lieutenant Tanner. She was still in shock, her mind elsewhere as Tanner questioned her about her relationship and her past with the victim. Paige was aware enough to notice the way Tanner sneered when she told her about their falling out.

"How do you feel about this, Paige?" she asked, her tone low and accusatory.

"I…. shocked," she replied, staring at the floor. It hadn't fully registered yet. She had just talked to her yesterday. She had lived with her for three years. This had to be a dream. Yes, that was it. This wasn't real. She would wake up soon, and everything would be okay.

"You're not upset?"

"Of course I am," she replied, anger starting to overcome her numbness. She didn't like the way the woman was looking at her.

"But, it doesn't sound like you had a very good relationship with her."

"Things ended badly, yes. But that doesn't mean I wanted anything to happen with her."

"The interesting thing is, Miss McCullers, is that we have already had several witnesses come forward and say they saw you yelling at her on the beach yesterday."

"She followed me here and kept trying to talk to me. I didn't want to listen to her because I was still hurt."

"Ah," Tanner replied, and Paige realized she was saying too much. It really didn't look good.

"Do I need to call a lawyer?"

"Do you have something to confess?"

"No."

"You're absolutely sure?"

"Yes."

"Here's what we're going to do. Until we have further developments, you will have to stay here. You're a person of interest-."

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious."

"This is fucking ridiculous," she snapped. "I didn't touch her!"

"Well, that is what we're going to find out," Tanner replied calmly. She stood up. "For now, you're free to go."

Paige stormed out into the waiting area. When she saw Emily sitting there waiting for her, the tears she had been holding in all day came, and she collapsed into Emily's arms, sobbing. Emily held her as she cried, stroking her back and soothingly whispering in her ear. She had been waiting for Paige to fall apart like this since they had found Shana. No matter how angry she had been, it was the natural reaction. Especially for someone as gentle and caring as Paige. She wouldn't stop crying, gripping Emily's shirt as she sobbed.

"They think I did it," she whispered into Emily's shirt. "They think I killed her."

"What?" Emily asked, sure she hadn't heard right. They had no reason to accuse her aside from the fact that they used to date.

"Uh huh," she sniffed, wiping her eyes. "That woman sure thinks I did. She told me I was free to go, for now."

Emily stared at her, unsure of what to say. This couldn't be happening. There was no way her girlfriend was being accused of murder.

"I don't know what to do," she replied, her face so heartbreakingly sad Emily almost burst into tears with her. "We need to call a lawyer."

"Oh, Paige….."

"You know I didn't hurt her," she continued shrilly. "Don't you?"

"Of course," she soothed, hugging her tightly. "I am on your side, Paige. It's going to be okay."

Paige shook her head. This was far from over.

"I don't know if it will. At least not anytime soon."

* * *

Everyone was silent when they got back to the house. There was a lot of whispering as Paige made her way up the stairs, Emily stopping to look at each of their friends. Hanna was whispering something to Toby, Caleb staring at her. Mona was pretending to be busy on her phone.

"I can call my mother," Spencer offered. "She's a great lawyer."

"If you could," Emily agreed.

"And you can stay in the beach house. As long as you need."

"Thank you." She turned to Hanna. Her former roommate stopped talking, looking guilty. "Do you have something to say?"

"No."

"Good. I'll be upstairs."

She went up the stairs after Paige. She found her sitting on the bed, her face buried in her hands. Emily sat beside her and began soothingly rubbing her back. She didn't know how to comfort her and she couldn't even imagine the fear she was feeling. It was bad enough Shana was dead, and she was being accused on top of it. No one should have to suffer as much as Paige had suffered. It seemed everywhere the poor woman turned she caught a tough break. Emily wished there was something she could do to change that, but she knew all she could do was be there for her.

Emily went downstairs to get Paige a glass of water a little while later, her eyes widening in surprise when she saw Hanna and Noel by the door, bags packed.

"What the hell?" she asked Hanna, the betrayal showing in her eyes. Hanna shrugged.

"I think it's time for me to go."

"What about Caleb?"

"I'm staying," he replied, glaring at his girlfriend.

"Hanna?" Emily asked, stepping towards her. "You know Paige didn't do this."

Hanna didn't answer. Emily felt as if she had been stabbed in the back. She thought Hanna was her friend, and that she would stand by her. She thought she knew Paige well enough, too. But apparently she was wrong.

"Who are you?" she asked softly. Hanna's eyes brimmed with tears.

"Emily, please."

"I have nothing else to say to you," she snapped. She turned to the rest of the group, watching silently as Mona joined Noel and Hanna by the door. "Anyone else want to make an ass of themselves?"

"We're staying," Spencer replied, gesturing to her and Toby.

"Thank you," she replied, suddenly wanting to burst into tears. "I'm glad you're able to use logic."

"Tell Paige I believe her," Mona whispered. "Noel…. he's forcing me to leave."

"I am not!"

"Yes, you are," she snapped. "Paige would never hurt anyone."

"I'll tell her," she replied quietly. And with that she went upstairs, unable to believe this was happening. Paige was being accused of murder and her best friend thought she did it. This had to be a nightmare.

Paige was lying on the bed, her back to Emily as she came into the room. She laid down beside her and held her, her fingers stroking her arm. Neither of them said anything. All they could do was try to process what had happened, and how they were going to get through it.

**A/N: So, there it is. Glad you're enjoying the story!**


	8. Chapter 8

As hard as Emily tried, she couldn't get Paige to even leave the room the next morning. All she did was lie on her side, staring at the bottom of the window as Emily tried to talk to her. She couldn't even imagine what she was feeling. She had lost someone she had once loved, no matter how things had turned out, and she wasn't even able to mourn her properly because of the accusations being placed on her. The whole thing pissed Emily off; there was no way Paige had hurt Shana, and the police had no evidence against her. But no one seemed interested in her opinion.

It hurt her so badly to see her girlfriend in so much pain. She didn't know how to help her, either. She knew Paige was grieving, but mostly she was humiliated that people she didn't even know were making her out to be a vicious killer. Even worse than that was the people she did know. She hadn't reacted when Emily had told her about some of their friends leaving, but it had pained her beyond words. She was grateful that some of them had stayed of course, but she was stunned that some of the people she trusted thought so badly of her.

"Paige, please," Emily sighed, holding the water bottle to her. "You have to drink something."

"I don't want to."

"This isn't going to help anything."

"I don't care."

"Paige," Emily pleaded, sounding near tears. "For me."

Paige sighed loudly, taking the water bottle from her. She took a gulp and looked at Emily, who shook her head.

"More."

To her relief Paige downed almost the whole bottle, tossing it to the side and lying back down. Emily started rubbing her back, wishing there was something she could do to help her. Anything.

"Am I going to go to jail?" Paige asked quietly, her voice breaking. Emily had never heard her sound so scared, so lost. Not even last year when her stalker had been at large.

"Baby, of course not," she soothed, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. "You didn't do anything. They can't have evidence against you."

"I don't get how they can think I'm a murderer just because we had a fight. I would never hurt her. Ever."

"I know you wouldn't."

"Good," she replied, rolling over and burying her face in Emily's shirt. "I don't know what I would do if you thought I did."

"I don't," she promised, stroking Paige's head. "I know you. And I love you."

"I love you, too," she whispered, hot tears silently making her way down her cheeks. "I can't believe she's gone."

"I know, love."

"Someone who knew her did this. I know it. She knew she was in danger, Emily. Someone followed her here and killed her, and they're wasting their time harassing me instead of trying to find out who actually hurt her."

"They'll figure it out," she replied, and she hoped they did it sooner rather than later. "They just need to make sure."

"I'm scared," she confessed. Emily bit her lip, fighting the tears filling in her eyes.

"I know you are, sweetheart. But it's going to be okay. I will be with you every step of the way. I'm not going to let them do anything."

"You're amazing," she whispered into Emily's shirt. Emily smiled sadly, her fingers running through Paige's hair. She had never guessed this was how their week at the beach would turn out, and it was sobering looking back a week ago at how excited they were.

Paige was right. Shana's killer had been someone who knew her. She had mentioned she felt she was in danger, and she was so desperate to get Paige's forgiveness, as if she knew her time was just about up. The longer the police wasted their time making Paige feel like a criminal, the more likely the real killer was to get away with it.

"Why don't you call your parents?" she suggested. Paige's father was top ranked lieutenant in Maine, and he could maybe be of some help, even if they were hours away. "Maybe your dad can help you."

"Maybe," she agreed, rubbing her eyes. They were red and swollen from the constant crying the past day. "I feel like shit."

"I think of you eat and shower you'll feel better," Emily told her. "Why don't you go shower and I'll fix you something to eat?"

To her surprise, Paige nodded. She slowly got up and began gathering her shower items, disappearing from the room. Emily sighed, feeling helpless, and went downstairs.

She got Paige to eat most of a sandwich and a bowl of fruit, which she considered to be a great victory. She didn't even complain as she got back under the covers, shutting her eyes. Emily went back to stroking her head, wondering when her girlfriend's streak of bad luck was going to change.

"Do they all hate me?" she asked timidly.

"Who?"

"The others. Downstairs."

"Paige, baby, no. They're on your side."

"They are?"

"Yes. You're not alone. I promise. We're here for you, no matter what."

"Can you hand me my phone? I wanna call home."

Emily handed her the cell phone, watching as she dialed it with trembling fingers. A tear slid down her face as her father picked up.

"Hi, Dad. It's me," she started shakily, swallowing hard. "No, I'm not okay. I'm in Massachusetts with Emily, we're at the Hastings' beach house. Uh huh….. Dad, Shana's dead. Murdered. And they think I did it."

Emily watched as Paige was silent, figuring her father was speaking. She was coming unraveled, the tears sliding down her cheeks faster as she closed her eyes, clutching Emily's hand.

"Daddy, I need you," she finally choked out, not bothering to hold the tears back any longer. She fell apart in Emily's arms, crying so hard she didn't even bother trying to keep talking. Emily took the phone from her, keeping her other arm tight around her as she cried.

"Paige?" Nick was saying frantically on the other end. "Hello?"

"Nick, it's Emily."

"Tell Paige we're coming, Emily. We'll be there by tonight."

"Thank you," she replied, her own eyes pricking with tears. "I'll see you then."

She hung up, cradling Paige in her arms. She was livid at the police for doing nothing but automatically accusing her. They hadn't even given her a chance; they had decided she was guilty before she had even gotten to the station. And as long as they had that attitude, nothing was going to be done about finding the real killer.

"It's okay," she soothed, although she didn't know if that were true. "You're parents are coming. Your dad will take care of this."

"I want to go home," she replied, and Emily didn't know if she meant home to Pennsylvania or home to the house she had grown up in in Maine.

"They can't keep you if they have no evidence. We can leave soon."

"Can we come in?" Spencer asked from outside the door, not waiting for an answer as she flung it open. She came into the room with Caleb and Toby at her heels, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "We're really sorry, Paige. About Shana, about the way you've been treated…. about everything, really."

"You believe me, right?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"Of course we do," Caleb replied. "And deep down, Hanna does, too. She-."

"I don't want to talk about her," she cut in sharply. Caleb nodded in understanding.

"I called my mom," she continued. "And if you need a lawyer, she'll be happy to help you."

Paige nodded, looking away. Although they said they believed her, she still felt ashamed. She didn't know why; she had done nothing wrong. But people were looking at her as a killer and it was more than she could take. It was heartbreaking, it was humiliating, and she wished she had just texted Shana back and gotten it over with before it had gotten out of control. Instead she had kept pushing her away, and their public fight the day of her murder didn't look good at all. There was nothing she could do now but hope they found something that proved she didn't do it.

"Guys, if you don't mind, I really just want to rest," she told them softly. The others understood and left without a word, Emily leaving with them to get Paige some more water.

"Emily, there's something I want to tell you," Toby told her softly when they were down in the kitchen. "I don't want you to get mad."

"If it is in any way accusing Paige, don't waste your breath."

"Just hear me out," he pleaded. "The night Shana was murdered….. I was up getting cereal and Paige came barreling back inside like she saw a ghost. I asked her what she was doing and she didn't really give me an answer. She just said she was out for a walk."

"Yeah. I know. She had a nightmare. She does that sometimes when she has a bad dream; she goes outside for fresh air," Emily replied, folding her arms. Toby shifted uncomfortably.

"I just thought you should-."

"I already knew," she snapped. "I was awake when she came back in. What exactly are you implying?"

"Nothing. I-."

"You know her, Toby. You know she would never hurt anyone. She loved Shana. Sure, she was hurt, but she never would have killed her. Remember what a wreck she was after Alison? That girl treated her like shit, too. And all she wanted was to help her. And if you had half a fucking brain you'd know that."

Toby blinked at her in surprise. Emily was always calm, and hardly ever used profanity. But she was livid now, and the thought that Paige's friends were questioning her innocence wasn't helping.

"Emily…. I'm not trying to accuse her of anything."

"It sure sounds like you are. You're a cop. Instead of sitting with your head up your ass like the schmucks here maybe you can figure out what happened to her."

With that, she turned around and walked back upstairs, leaving Toby standing in the kitchen, his mouth open. She was furious but couldn't let it show as she went back into the room. Paige couldn't know what Toby had said. It would destroy her.

"I want you to try to drink some more, honey," she told her gently. "Please?"

Surprisingly, Paige didn't put up a fight. She took the bottle from Emily and took a generous gulp, settling back against the pillows.

"I don't feel good."

"I know," she soothed, sitting next to her. "Since no one around here knows how to do their job, maybe your dad can help look into what happened to her. Is there anyone you can think of who would want to hurt her?"

"I don't know," Paige replied, shrugging. "If she fucked other people over like she did to me, then sure. Not that I wanted to hurt her, but if she did what she did to me to someone unstable, then…. you never know."

"Is she dating anyone?"

"Some girl. Jenna, I think her name is. I know nothing about her, though."

"It had to be someone she knew. She knew something was going to happen to her."

Paige closed her eyes, her stomach turning. She could still see Shana's unfocused eyes looking up at her as she told the police who she was, the same eyes she had once seen so full of love and life. She swallowed the bile rising in her throat and got up, walking to the window.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Emily nodded in agreement, watching helplessly as Paige stared outside at nothing. She wished she knew how to help, but she had nothing. All they could do was hope Nick McCullers knew where to start looking.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Trigger warning for brief talk of Paige's past. Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!**

Paige's parents arrived at the beach house a little after nine. Spencer let them in and sent them upstairs to where Emily was lying next to Paige on the bed, rubbing her back. She got up when her parents came in, standing off to the side as they moved to the bed, fussing over their daughter. She found it hard to control her emotions as she watched them, grateful that they had been able to come. At least it would be a source of comfort, no matter how small.

"Oh, Paige," Elizabeth whispered, taking her daughter in her arms. Paige buried her face in her mother's shoulder, unable to hold her tears in anymore. She started to cry, as she had done on and off the past two days, clutching onto her mother as she had done when she was a little girl. She felt her father's hand on her back, silently telling her he was there, and it did nothing to stop her tears. She cried and cried as Emily looked at the scene before her with teary eyes. "Baby, it's okay. We're here and we're not going to let anything happen to you."

Paige didn't answer. She couldn't answer.

"We'll take care of this," Nick added. "Don't worry."

"I'm so sorry," her mother whispered. Paige took a shuddering breath, wiping her eyes.

"You… you know I d-didn't do it, right?"

"Of course we do," Elizabeth replied, holding her tight. "You're our daughter. We know you would never hurt anyone."

"How many times have you talked to the police?" Nick asked.

"One. And before I got there they already had their minds made up that I did it."

"They accused you?"

"In so many words. Because I had a past relationship with her I guess that automatically means I wanted her dead. They're not even looking into it."

"I'm going to pay them a visit tomorrow," he replied. "And remind them they need evidence before they can accuse someone of murder."

"I'm scared," she admitted, leaning against her mother. Her father smiled sadly at her.

"I know."

"Your father and I were thinking that if we can get permission for you to leave, you should come back to Maine with us for a couple days," her mother suggested, brushing loose hair out of her daughter's face.

"Wouldn't it look bad leaving?"

"No. You don't live here. If they say you can go, why would you stay?" Nick replied. She shrugged. She guessed that made sense.

"Can Emily come, too?"

"Of course," Elizabeth replied, smiling over at Emily. "It's going to be okay, sweetheart. I promise."

Miraculously, Paige fell asleep. She had been up nearly the whole past forty-eight hours, and Emily was relieved to see her finally get some rest. Nick left them to call his office about how to go about tomorrow, while Emily and Elizabeth stayed by Paige's side.

"Thank you," Elizabeth whispered to her. Emily looked at her, confused.

"For what?"

"Staying by her side. You….. you have been so good to her."

"I love her. And I know her," Emily replied simply. "I never doubted her for a second."

"I know. I'm so grateful she found someone like you." She looked at her sleeping daughter, taking a deep breath. "I'm afraid that if things get worse she might try to hurt herself again."

"I don't think she will," Emily replied confidently. "She's really strong. And she knows that she has us standing with her."

Elizabeth nodded, tears glistening in her eyes. Emily smiled reassuringly at her.

"She'll be okay, Liz," she told her gently. "I know it."

"Do you…. do you know everything that happened between her and Shana?"

"Yeah. She told me. And I still don't think that's a good enough reason to accuse someone of murder without evidence. I mean, she just cares so much about everyone. Anyone who knows her knows that."

"She does," Elizabeth agreed, looking at her sleeping daughter. "Almost to a fault."

"She told me about Clara, too," Emily added. A tear slid down Elizabeth's cheek.

"That girl….. Paige followed her around like a lost puppy. I wondered if she was gay, between that and the fact that she never talked about boys. Nick denied it, but I knew. I really thought her friend cared about her, too. Maybe not in the way she wanted, but at least as a friend. I was so wrong."

"Was Nick opposed to the idea?" she asked. Paige had told her that her parents had been very accepting, maybe out of fear that she would try to hurt herself again, but she had never mentioned how they had thought about homosexuality before.

"Not exactly. I mean, he wasn't…. excited when I brought it up, but he didn't get angry either. He was raised very Catholic, but he knew even then that if I was right, she's our daughter and that's what matters." She took a deep breath, wiping at the tear on her cheek. "Clara came to us and played the recording of Paige confessing her feelings, all smug and proud of herself. I have never seen my husband so angry as he was on that day."

"At Paige?"

"No. At Clara. I was so proud of him, the way he told her off. But then we found Paige…" She trailed off, swallowing hard. Emily placed her hand on her arm. "She's had so many tough breaks. But she always seems to make it through."

"You should be very proud of her," Emily agreed. "I know I am."

"I am, too. And I'm grateful she has you."

At that moment, Paige began to stir next to them. She opened her eyes, squinting as she tried to get used to the light.

"Emily?"

"I'm right here, love," she soothed softly, reaching out to gently stroke her head. "Go back to sleep."

Paige nodded, letting Emily help her under the covers as her mother got up to turn the light off. She felt Emily's arm around her as she drifted back off to sleep, her worries for the moment forgotten.

* * *

The next morning, she was called back to the police station. Emily went with her, reminding her that if they tried to rope her into a confession she would have to refuse to answer until she had a lawyer. Nick was planning on talking to them after, mostly depending on how they handled their questioning.

"You have the right to refuse," Emily told her as they sat out in the waiting room. Paige was anxiously chewing on her lip, her stomach in knots. She knew she didn't do anything wrong, but they sure didn't seem to. She knew how this worked from growing up with her father in the business; if the police thought you were guilty of something, it wasn't easy to change their minds. She was sure they were calling her back to interrogate her and accuse her some more, not tell her they believed her.

"Paige McCullers?" Lieutenant Tanner called as she opened the door, a nasty sneer on her face. Paige reluctantly stood up and followed her into her office, her stomach churning uncomfortably as Tanner closed the door behind her.

"Here to accuse me some more?" she asked bitterly.

"Of course not. I just want to ask you some questions."

"Sure."

Tanner glared at her, taking a pen from the holder on her desk. Paige took a deep breath, fighting to keep her anger in check.

"I want you to tell me again about your meeting Shana on the beach."

"I told you everything I know."

"Miss McCullers, are you going to do this the easy way or the hard way? I don't really like your attitude."

"I didn't _meet_ her. She followed me."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I wanted nothing to do with her. I hadn't spoken to her in over a year. And then suddenly she was popping up everywhere."

"That must have made you pretty angry."

"No. I wasn't angry. I just didn't want to see her."

"That isn't what our witnesses on the beach said."

"I got tired of her harassing me, so I told her to leave me alone. That was all. I didn't threaten her. If anything, she threatened me."

"Really?" Tanner asked, raising her eyebrows. "How so?"

"She said something along the lines of she would leave me alone but I was going to be sorry."

"Did anyone else hear this?"

"I would image all the creeps staring at us heard it. But they conveniently left it out because they want their time to shine in a murder investigation. It doesn't make their statement sound very important if she was the one making threats."

"Well, maybe that made you angry."

"Jesus Christ!" she exclaimed, the sudden urge to flip Tanner's desk over almost overwhelming. "I was going to let it go when agreed to leave! Why don't you understand that? I didn't care about talking things over when she came back. Things ended for me the second she told me she cheated. I had no desire to ever speak to her again!"

"Miss McCullers, it certainly sounds as if you hold a lot of resentment."

"Of course I do! Anyone who went through what I went through would. Have you never been screwed over by someone you thought cared about you?"

"We're not talking about me. We're talking about you."

"I would never, ever hurt her. But I'm guessing I could say that until I was blue in the face and you would never believe me."

"You have to understand that you have a motive. As of now, unless there is someone you would like to suggest, we know of no other people who would have wanted to murder her in such a brutal way."

"I would never hurt her," she replied stubbornly.

"Not even a small part of you wanted her back, and when you saw her all that betrayal just came back to you?"

"No. I am very, very happy with the girlfriend I have now. Shana was nothing but the past."

Referring to her in the past tense still felt strange. Tears pricked her eyes and she looked down, not wanting Tanner to see. She didn't think she believed her, and there was really nothing she could do.

"Maybe you didn't intend to kill her. Maybe you saw her and you snapped."

"I didn't…" She trailed off. That sounded like an actual accusation. "If you're going to keep talking to me like that, I'm going to have to call a lawyer."

"I think that would be a good idea," Tanner replied. Paige's stomach dropped. "But before you go I would like to show you something."

She pulled a folder from the shelf by her desk and opened it, revealing gruesome pictures of Shana's body. Paige gasped, closing her eyes as her stomach flipped. She had seen Shana's face, the rest of her covered by a sheet when she had helped the police identify her. She hadn't expected her to be so mutilated.

"Is there anything you want to say?" she asked, smirking at Paige's discomfort. She shook her head, refusing to look.

"I need a lawyer."

"If you won't look, I'll describe what she looks like to you. Or do you already know since you're the one who did this to her?"

"Stop!"

"You cut her open, from her throat to her stomach. You must have watched her bleed out. Did she beg? Did she plead with you not to do it?"

"Please, stop…"

"This was such a brutal way for her to die. With such pain, such suffering. Did you think she deserved to die?"

"No!" she sobbed, unable to stop the tears any longer.

"Did you kill her?" Tanner shouted at her. The door flew open, a young male standing there.

"Lieutenant, there's someone…. what's going on?" he asked, noting the pictures of the victim on the table and Paige sobbing in her chair. "Are you questioning her without a lawyer present?"

"I'm doing my job, Holbrook. Get out of here."

"I came to tell you that Lieutenant McCullers from Caribou is here. The father of the girl you're interrogating," he added, gesturing to Paige. "I'm sure he will be thrilled to hear that you did not allow his daughter to call a lawyer before questioning her."

Tanner's mouth dropped open. Holbrook gave her a cold look before turning his attention to Paige.

"Miss McCullers, you can leave now. Call a lawyer."

Paige nodded, wasting no time in hurrying out of the room. She walked right past Emily, who stood up to meet her, and straight to the bathroom with her hand over her mouth. Emily followed her, unsurprised to find her kneeling in front of a toilet, vomiting. She crouched down next to her, holding her hair as she rubbed circles on her back. When she finished she sat back crying, burying her face in her hands. Emily held her tight, wanting to cry with her. She hated seeing her suffer so much.

"It's okay, sweetheart," she whispered, trying to soothe her. "It's okay."

"She showed me pictures…. pictures of Shana," she sniffed. "She kept asking me if I wanted her to die, if I made her look like that…."

"Without letting you call a lawyer?"

Paige nodded. Emily pursed her lips, anger washing over her.

"Your dad is going to fix that."

"He can't change that they think I'm a murderer."

"Oh, Paige….. we'll get through this."

"I don't know if we can. I don't know if I can."

"Hey. Don't say that," she replied, burying her face in Paige's shoulder. "We'll get through this together. We'll find who really did it."

"How? I'm they're only suspect. And if it was someone random, that's not going to help any more."

"They'll find the real killer," Emily insisted, sounding more confident than she felt. "They always do."

"Not always," Paige replied glumly. Emily sighed, flushing the toilet and helping her to her feet.

"Let's get out of here."

They went back out to the lobby, where Nick was leaving Tanner's office, a smug look on his face. He made his way over to his daughter, pulling her in for a hug.

"You can come back with us for a couple days," he told her. "They have no physical evidence against you and they can't hold you hostage here without it. We'll get you a lawyer and get this all sorted out."

"I'm scared," she replied, leaning her head against him.

"I know you are. But I promise, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Do you trust me?" She nodded. He smiled at her. "Good. Let's go get some of your things packed."

They left the police station and went back to the beach house, packing their bags up before leaving with Paige's parents for Maine. Exhausted, Paige fell asleep on the way home, as Emily stared out the window, afraid this was far from over.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Sorry about the wait. A family member has been very sick and I haven't had much free time. Hope you enjoy!**

"How does it feel being home?" Emily asked. She and Paige were standing in Paige's childhood room, looking around. It was comforting, the soft blue walls a reminder of innocence.

"Home is wherever you are," she replied, pulling Emily into her arms. "Thank you so much for standing by me."

"Always," Emily assured her. "I'll always be here for you, Paige. I will never doubt you."

"Why are you so sure of me when they're so sure I did it?"

"Because they're desperate. They want to find someone to blame, whether they actually did it or not. She was murdered away from home and the only person they think has a motive is you. So they're grasping at it." She paused, thinking for a moment to decide if she actually wanted to say what she was thinking. "I'm surprised they're not looking at me."

"What?"

"I'm your girlfriend and your ex kept popping up. That's a motive."

Paige raised her eyebrows. Emily was right. She did have a motive, maybe even a better one. A jealous lover was probably the most common cause of murder, but for some reason that hadn't occurred to the police.

"I won't let them try to put this on you, Em."

"Maybe I should-."

"No. Them accusing me is one thing. We don't need them thinking we were in on this together."

Emily frowned. She hadn't thought of that, but it was certainly possible of them to think. They both had motives to kill Shana, and she guessed she was lucky that the police hadn't come up with that genius theory yet.

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

Paige sighed, sitting on the edge of her bed. She clasped her hands together, looking at Emily.

"This is such a fucking mess. This was supposed to be a fun weekend."

"For what it's worth," Emily started, sitting next to her. "It was fun. I loved spending every minute with you."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," Paige replied softly. Emily smiled.

"Of course."

"I just wish you hadn't seen me so… weak," she continued. "First with the Alison thing, now this…. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Paige. Nothing at all."

"I just want you to be happy," she replied sadly. "I want to give you the life you deserve."

"You are, Paige. I know how much you love me. That's all I can ask for."

"I do love you," Paige replied, holding her close. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," Emily whispered, burying her face in her shoulder.

"Paige?" Nick called, poking his head into the room. "Veronica Hastings is on the phone. She wants to talk to you."

Paige nodded, getting up. Emily followed her, praying Mrs. Hastings could get her out of this mess.

* * *

Thunder crashed outside as Paige and Emily laid together in bed, neither of them able to sleep. It had been an unreal past few days, and although they were exhausted, they were stressed at the same time. Paige sighed loudly, turning to face Emily.

"Can't sleep?" Emily asked sympathetically. Paige nodded.

"Not at all."

"Poor baby," she replied, soothing rubbing her shoulder. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Mmm," Paige replied, snuggling into her side. "Actually… yes."

"What? Anything."

"I was thinking," she started, kissing Emily's neck. "We could both use the release."

"We could," Emily agreed. She was glad Paige was still in the mood for sex. And if it was going to help her, she would be more than happy to try it.

Paige sighed as Emily slid her hands under her shirt, cupping her girlfriend's breasts. She rubbed her fingers over her nipples, Paige's soft moans filling the air. She could feel her physically relax as she played with her breasts, kissing her gently.

"Em," she whispered, closing her eyes as Emily slowly pulled her shorts down. She gasped as she began massaging her clit, her center growing even damper at the sensation. She needed to feel Emily too, and she easily slipped her fingers inside of her, sighing in content at the feel of Emily's warm, wet walls around her. She groaned and Emily kissed her to absorb the sound.

"Shhh. Your parents are down the hall," she reminded her, her own face set in an expression of pleasure.

Paige gasped in response, burying her face in Emily's shoulder. Yes, this was definitely what she had needed. To be able to feel the connection she had with Emily, to be reminded that she was loved. Whenever this got to feel like it was too much, all she had to do was remember she had a strong, amazing woman on her side.

Emily was struggling to keep her rhythm as her own pleasure grew, her fingers sloppily grazing Paige's clit with each thrust. But it was good enough for her girlfriend, who was clenching so hard around her fingers she could barely move them. She was close, and it didn't take much longer for her to come, biting down on Emily's shoulder to keep from screaming. Her orgasm triggered Emily's and she came too, soft moans escaping her lips as they brought each other down slowly. They laid there together, their breath mingling as their hearts pounded wildly in their chests. Paige removed her fingers from Emily's center first, pulling her in for a soft, passionate kiss. She already felt far calmer than she had just before, and she had the loving woman beside her to thank for that.

"That was so good," she told her, grinning. Emily smiled, holding her close.

"It was," she agreed. "How do you feel?"

"Relaxed," she replied honestly. "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me, honey," she assured her, sitting up. She settled herself between Paige's legs, smiling gently at her.

"You don't have to do anything else if you're too tired, Em."

"I want to taste you," she replied, licking her lips at the sight of Paige's glistening center. "Then we'll go to sleep."

Paige could never argue with that. She moaned as Emily's lips connected with her clit, covering her mouth with her hands to keep from being too loud. Her parents may be supportive, but she was pretty sure they had no desire to hear their daughter having sex no matter who it was with. But Emily was so good that it was hard to be quiet even with trying to muffle her sounds. The woman was an expert at absolutely everything.

She was still worked up from before and desperate for all the release she could get. It wasn't long before she came again, fingers lacing through Emily's hair as she rode out her pleasure. Emily moved back up and kissed her softly, her lips lingering on Paige's. She curled up next to her and pulled the covers over them, looking at her sleepy girlfriend lovingly. She touched her cheek, smiling as Paige looked over at her through half closed eyes.

"Do you feel better, sweetheart?" she asked.

"Yeah," Paige whispered, struggling to keep her eyes open. The storm was fading outside and she suddenly felt very tired. Safe, even. She moved closer to Emily, letting her eyes drift closed as Emily's fingers stroked her hair.

* * *

"It would help it we knew the girl's last name," Paige sighed, her grumpiness from the previous day returning. She was telling Emily about her encounter with Shana in the bathroom at the ice cream parlor, and how she had mentioned Jenna couldn't see them talking. If Jenna was the jealous type and she had known Shana had been following her ex-girlfriend around, then maybe she had gotten angry enough to kill her. But she knew nothing about this woman, except her first name. And that wasn't going to get them anywhere.

"Why don't we look up some of the articles?" Emily suggested. "If Jenna is her current girlfriend, she has to be mentioned by full name."

"Good idea," Paige replied, taking a sip of her coffee. She frowned. "Can you do it? I don't think I want to see what those articles are saying."

Emily nodded in understanding. She pulled out her phone and looked up the main Massachusetts news, and sure enough there were multiple articles on the brutal homicide. Half of which were accusing Paige. Gritting her teeth, she scrolled through until she found one that didn't seem to be biased, clicking on it.

"Hmm…. I don't see….. oh, here. It says 'Current girlfriend, Jenna Marshall, was inconsolable. She claims she never knew her girlfriend left their hotel room.'" She stopped, figuring Paige wouldn't want to hear any details. "Marshall. Should we look her up?"

"I doubt it would do any good. You'll just find stuff about the murder."

"Well, maybe you should tell the police. It doesn't even sound like they're looking at her."

"Like they'll believe a word I say."

"If they're actually interested in doing their job, they'll be open to looking at other suspects."

"I guess," Paige sighed. "I wonder how long it will be before they call me back."

"They can't if they don't have a real reason. Your dad would flip."

"True. But I'm sure they'll do anything to find a reason."

"What time are your parents coming home?" Emily asked, glancing outside at the setting sun. "I don't really want to be here alone."

"What? Why?" Paige asked. "Oh. Honey, if you're thinking of the person at the beach house, they're far…" She trailed off. Emily looked at her, the same thought occurring to her.

"Do you think that person we kept seeing outside is who killed Shana?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Maybe it wasn't someone she knew, then. Maybe it was just a random stalker."

"We don't know. We never saw their face."

"You should tell the police about that," Emily replied, getting excited. "That definitely could be something!"

"Em, settle down. We have no idea who that was. The police wouldn't, either."

"Does Toby still have the glove?"

"He might.. But I don't think that would mean anything."

"Maybe we should go back to Massachusetts. Do some of our own snooping."

"Em, that is not a good idea. We don't want to get a murderer angry at us. We did that last year and it didn't turn out well."

"I know," she replied sadly. "I just don't want them to keep accusing you. You were so….. heartbroken yesterday and I can't stand to see you that way."

"Oh, Em… babe, I appreciate that. But I'm not letting you endanger yourself for me."

Emily sighed, looking down at her phone. She scowled when she saw who she had a message from, angrily placing her phone on the table.

"Emily?"

"It's Hanna."

"Look…. it hurts that she doesn't believe me. But she's your-."

"Don't say she's my friend. If she was she would have stood by you."

"She was afraid. I really can't blame her. She doesn't know me like the others do and it didn't look good."

"Are you really defending her? Paige, you're too nice. To people who don't even deserve it."

Paige shrugged. Maybe that was true, but she didn't know what to do about it.

"Well, still. Don't lose friends over me."

"Hmph."

"Do you want some more coffee?" Paige asked, getting up to refill her cup.

"No thanks. My bladder already feels like it's about to explode. I'm gonna go pee."

Paige nodded, watching as Emily left the room. She sighed, pouring more coffee into her cup. She hated the toll this was taking on everyone, and she felt guilty for ruining the nice beach vacation they were supposed to have. Spencer, Toby, and Caleb had all gone back to Pennsylvania, Spencer offering them the beach house if they needed to go back to Massachusetts. Sometimes she wondered why whoever was in charge of her fate had let her have Emily, because everything else seemed to go to shit sooner or later. She supposed it was just so she would stay sane.

If she wasn't so terrified about being arrested and charged with murder, she would be feeling incredibly guilty about refusing to listen to Shana. But her fear kept her from being riddled with guilt, which maybe in a way wasn't bad. There was probably nothing she could have done anyway, and worrying herself sick wasn't going to help. She sighed and closed her eyes, rubbing her temples. This was far from over and she knew it.

"Paige!"

Emily's terrified shout snapped her to attention. She raced down the hall and into the bathroom, where Emily was standing with her face pressed to the window.

"Baby? What is it?"

"There's someone out there!"

"What?" Paige asked, alarmed. She tried to see outside through the fog. "Who?"

"I don't know. I just see a shape."

Paige squinted, trying to see if she could see anyone standing in the distance. It was always so foggy around her parents' house during the summer, and she couldn't see anything.

"I don't see anything, Em," she replied. Maybe Emily was wrong and she had just thought she had seen someone.

"I saw them! I know I did," she insisted, sounding near tears. "Somebody's out there, Paige. You have to believe me."

"Okay, okay," she soothed, pulling Emily into her arms. "It's okay, honey."

"How do you know? Maybe it's Shana's killer!"

"Why would Shana's killer follow us to Maine?"

"I don't know. But I know I saw someone," she insisted stubbornly. Paige sighed.

"I'll go outside and look."

"No!"

"Emily, if someone's out there, we need to call the police. But I don't want to call if there's no reason to."

"Paige, please," she begged, following her as she started down the hall. "Don't go out there."

"Em, just relax," she replied, opening the door. "Stay here."

Emily watched helplessly as Paige stepped out into the foggy night. She glanced around, looking for any flashes of movement. She didn't think anyone was here, but there was a part of her that was afraid maybe someone was. She wasn't thrilled about the idea of walking into the fog, so after giving a quick once over she hurried back inside, closing and locking the door.

"I didn't see anyone."

"Someone's out there."

"Emily…"

"Don't you believe me?"

"Em…. yes, I believe you. But I don't want to call the police when we're not sure there's a problem. The last thing I need is for them thinking anything else bad about me."

Emily nodded. Paige had a right to feel that way.

"Anyway, we're safe here," she continued. "My parents will be back any minute. It's okay."

Emily looked reluctant. Paige gently touched her cheek, giving her a reassuring smile.

"I'm going to keep you safe, Emily. You don't need to worry."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: So sorry guys! I've been very busy and spending a lot of time in hospitals (not me, a family member) and I have had very little time to write. Let me know if you're still interested and I'll make every effort to give you guys regular updates. Thanks for reading!**

"All packed?" Paige asked, trying to sound cheerful. Emily could see right through her.

"It's going to be okay, Paige."

"I don't know if it will," she admitted, looking down at the ground. "You know as soon as we get back there they'll be back to harassing me. Because they aren't bothering to look for the actual killer."

"Won't Mrs. Hastings be able to help you?"

"I sure fucking hope so."

They were on their way back to Massachusetts, where they would be staying in the beach house until Paige was finally cleared to leave. She had made multiple offers to Emily to just go back home and she could stay alone, but Emily always refused. She had promised she would stay by her side throughout this whole ordeal, and that was exactly what she was going to do.

She knew Spencer's mother well and she did feel a little better having her on her side. If anyone could get the police to realize a mistake, it was her. She was a perfectionist like her daughter and would fight her hardest to keep Paige from being formally blamed.

She was terrified that she would be arrested. She didn't think any accusation would stick in court, especially since there was no evidence against her, but she was afraid that they wouldn't hesitate to leave her behind bars for as long as they could. She didn't think she could bear the humiliation.

"Paige?" Emily asked gently. "Maybe I should drive."

"Yeah," she agreed, not having the energy to put up a fight. "Maybe that's a good idea."

Emily gave her a worried look but didn't say anything. She was afraid for her, both for her state of mind and for her innocence. She knew she hadn't done anything, but the police seemed intent to blame it on her. She didn't understand why they weren't investigating other people, like Jenna Marshall. Wasn't the unwritten rule to always question the significant other first? Paige hadn't even been in contact with her until now. She didn't think it made sense.

The weather was growing stormier the closer they got to the beach. It was dark and the wind was picking up, howling around them. Paige didn't say anything though; instead she just kept staring out the window.

"You'll be okay, Paige."

"You don't know that."

"Maybe not. But expecting the worst isn't going to help."

"I don't care."

"Paige…."

"I'm sorry," she sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "I'm really fucking sorry."

"Don't be."

"I won't blame you if you want to leave, Emily. Really. I don't want you stuck here."

"I'm not leaving," she insisted stubbornly. Paige gave her a small smile.

"I'm lucky to have you."

It was past eight when they got back to the beach house. They had eaten throughout the car trip and neither one was hungry, so they just went upstairs to the room they had been sharing before everything had been shot to shit. Paige dumped the bags on the bed, moving to the window to look outside.

"Is there anything you need, honey?" Emily asked gently. Paige shook her head.

"No."

"You don't want anything else to eat?"

"No."

Emily sighed, sitting down on the bed. She didn't blame Paige for being in the mood she was in. It was frustrating for sure, and if she was scared she could only imagine what her girlfriend was feeling.

"Paige, come here," she pleaded. "Please."

Paige did as she was told, curling up beside Emily on the bed. Emily kissed her gently, running her fingers through her hair. Paige let out a soft sigh, closing her eyes.

"I don't know why you're still with me."

"Why?" Emily asked in surprise.

"Because my life is a mess and you keep getting sucked in."

"Oh, Paige…."

"And as much as I hate having to subject you to this shit, I'm so grateful for you. You're the only steady part."

"I always will be," Emily whispered, kissing her hair. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too."

"We'll get through this, honey. We will."

* * *

"Tell me everything you can," Veronica directed, uncapping her pen. "Even things that may not seem important."

It was the next morning, and Spencer's mother had finally arrived to start talking to them. She assured them that as long as the police had no physical evidence, they couldn't do anything more than question her.

"You met her a couple times, I think," Paige started. "We were together for three years. I thought we were happy. But as time passed I started to think we were staying more for companionship than actual love. Then she cheated on me and that was it. I didn't see her again until last week."

"Do you know the name of who she left you for?"

"Nate something. I don't know his last name."

"Was she still with him?"

"No. He said she dumped him for another girl. Jenna Marshall."

"Do you know anything about her?"

"Only that Shana said she couldn't see us talking because she would get jealous."

Veronica paused, her pen above her notebook.

"Did you tell this to the police?"

"They wouldn't listen. I don't know if they've even talked to her."

"I'm sure they have. But anyway, we should let them know they should be looking at her."

"And then there was the person who kept walking around here at night. The one with the black Hoodie."

"What?"

"Yeah. There was someone lurking around here at night. A couple of us noticed."

"But you don't know who?"

"No. But maybe they're connected."

"Well, Paige, you know I believe you. And considering they have nothing but a motive for you, it would be hard to convince people. As strange as it sounds, you're lucky. There could be real evidence against you."

"People saw us fighting on the beach the day before."

"Hardly anything. You had a rocky past. It doesn't mean you killed her."

"I wish everyone thought like you."

"Don't worry, Paige. Just leave it to me and I will have your name cleared in no time."

"I hope so," she replied doubtfully. "Could they arrest me?"

"They could. But they would need actual evidence to do it. And we could easily get you out on bail."

"That makes me feel loads better," she replied sarcastically. Emily soothingly rubbed her back.

"I'm serious, Paige. Unless something huge turns up I really don't think you have to worry. They can't keep bringing you in for no reason."

Paige didn't answer. She wanted to believe Veronica, to hope that this would soon be over. But she was afraid to even think it.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thanks for the well wishes, and I'm glad you're still enjoying the story. Thanks for reading!**

Emily was jolted awake by a loud crash of thunder outside. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, as she shook the sleep off. She looked at Paige lying next to her, who was miraculously sleeping through the storm. She leaned over and gently kissed the side of her face, glad to see her finally in a peaceful state. This whole thing was taking its toll on her, and Emily didn't know how to help. She wanted to, of course, but she didn't think there was a whole you could do for someone who was being accused of murder.

She sighed, silently slipping out of bed and making her way down to the bathroom on the second floor. They had the whole beach house to themselves, and under normal circumstances they would have loved it. But neither one of them liked why they were here, and Paige hadn't done anything since they had gotten back from Maine but stare at the wall. Emily wished she would at least try something to take her mind off of what was happening. It had to be better than doing nothing but thinking about it all day.

As she was washing her hands, she thought she heard someone knocking on the door. She turned the water off and listened, her heart starting to pound. That was definitely what she was hearing. But who would be knocking on the door at one in the morning in the middle of a thunderstorm? She slowly opened the door and stood in the hallway for a moment, debating if she should go investigate and ignore it and go back to bed. Deciding she couldn't just let it go, she went downstairs and walked slowly to the door, wondering if she should pick up the fire poker first before opening it.

As she approached the door the pounding stopped. Frowning, she peered out of the peep hole. No one was there.

She flung the door open, staring out into the night. Rain was pouring down, making it difficult to see well, but she could tell there was no one out there. She knew she had heard someone. Whoever it was must have run away before she could get to the door.

She cautiously stepped out on the porch, trying to see into the distance. She wasn't sure if she could see someone running down the beach through the fog or if it was just her imagination. She squinted, concentrating on trying to see.

"Emily?"

She screamed and whirled around. Paige was standing behind her, looking half asleep.

"Jesus, Paige! You scared me!"

"What are you doing?"

"I thought I heard someone knocking. But there's no one here."

"Come back inside," Paige replied as a flash of lightning lit up the sky. "There's nothing we can do."

Emily did as she was told, backing inside and closing the door behind them. She looked at her girlfriend standing there with her arms folded, an emotionless expression on her face.

"I think Shana's killer is still here," Emily started. "I think maybe they…. I don't know. They want to make you look guilty, but I don't understand why they keep hanging around here."

"I do," Paige replied, her tone not giving anything away. "They want to off me and make it look like suicide so they can get away with Shana's murder."

Emily stared at her, unsure of how to respond. That did make sense. But she couldn't bear to think of it.

"Well, I won't let that happen," she replied confidently. Paige gave a humorless laugh.

"Good luck with that."

"Paige-."

"I'm going back to bed," she replied. "Are you coming?"

Emily nodded. She followed Paige wordlessly, sliding back into bed as Paige rolled over and faced the windows. She waited a moment before moving closer to her and sliding her arm around her. Paige didn't say anything, but she took her hand, silently telling Emily she knew she was there for her.

"I love you," Emily whispered to her, holding her close. "And I won't let anything happen to you."

* * *

"You know Jenna Marshall?" Paige blurted, almost knocking Emily's coffee cup over. Emily stared at her with wide eyes, moving in closer to hear what Toby was saying on the other line.

"Uh, I guess you can say that. We sort of… we sort of slept together in high school."

"_Toby_!"

"What? Since when is that a crime?"

"It's not. But why have I never heard you mention her?"

"Because it was a one time thing and I wanted nothing to do with her."

"Um…. so, what was her deal with Shana? Is she bisexual?"

"I have no idea. How do you know she's with Shana again?"

"Nate told me. She dumped him and got together with Jenna. He said he didn't understand why and Jenna was just a rebound."

"Maybe Jenna knew that and was pissed."

"She told me here that Jenna couldn't see us talking. She was here to talk to me and Nate knew that, which was why he said he didn't get her having a new girlfriend."

"Sometimes when people are lonely, they do stupid things," Toby replied. "Anyway, like I said, we didn't know each other well. I was never in a relationship with her so I can't tell you if she was the jealous type or anything. Have you talked to anyone from Shana's family?"

"No. I'm pretty sure they all think I murdered their daughter."

"Oh. Right." Toby was silent for a minute. Paige sighed, leaning against Emily.

"This is a nightmare, Toby."

"I know. I really wish I could help you."

"It's okay. At least you actually believe me."

"Most of us do, Paige. You know Mona does too, right?"

"Yeah. I've talked to her since."

"We'll get this figured out, Paige. The real person is almost always caught."

"Almost always?"

"Well, you know. The serial killer cases are harder to solve, but this isn't what we're looking at. Spencer and I are going to come back tomorrow, okay? We'll snoop around with you."

"Oh, Toby…. you don't have to do that."

"We want to help you, Paige. I can't make any promises but it's the least I can do."

"Thanks, Toby. Really."

"Anytime. Tell Emily I said hi and we'll be there tomorrow."

"They're coming up here?" Emily asked as Paige hung up. "That's great. Toby's trained at this kind of stuff."

"Yeah," she agreed. "Em?"

"Yes?"

"Have you talked-."

"No, I have not talked to Hanna, and I'm not going to."

"Emily, please don't-."

"That's not how a friend behaves, Paige. You're not going to convince me otherwise."

"I know, but she deserves a chance. I mean, yeah, it hurts, but I don't blame her."

Emily shook her head, staring at her in disbelief.

"You're too nice, you know that?"

"So I've heard," she replied, smiling slightly as she snuggled into her side. "Seriously, Em. You believe me and that's all I need."

"I just wish there was more I could do to help."

"Love, believe me when I say you are what's keeping me together," she told her. Emily kissed her hair.

"If you say so."

"I do."

"What was that about last night, by the way?"

"What do you mean?"

"With you going downstairs. I only half remember it."

"I thought… no, I know I heard someone knocking. When I went to check there was no one there."

"Are you sure it wasn't the wind? Maybe it was knocking something around on the porch."

"Well…. I guess it's possible," she replied, but she didn't think that was it. The way it had stopped suddenly when she had neared the door made her think for sure someone had been out there. As much as she loved her alone time with Paige, she would be glad when Spencer and Toby got there.

They sat in silence for a few moments, Emily playing with Paige's hair while Paige ran her fingers up and down Emily's bare arm. They hadn't heard anything from the police since they had been back, and they didn't know if that was good or bad. As long as they had no evidence they couldn't keep just calling her in, and since she hadn't done it, she didn't see how they could find anything against her. But, then again, sometimes perfectly innocent people went to jail because of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, so she knew not to get her hopes up.

"I'm going to shower before any storms come in," Paige announced, standing up. "You want to join? This is, uh, gonna sound clingy and pathetic, but I don't really want to be alone right now."

"It doesn't," Emily assured her, standing up after her. "I really don't, either."

They spent a good half hour in the shower, standing under the water holding each other. The past week had certainly taken its toll on both of them, and Emily had never seen Paige so subdued. Even the year before, with all the stalker nonsense, she had remained mostly her normal self. She just seemed so down and depressed now, and Emily didn't know how to help her. She didn't know if there was any way she could.

* * *

"Did you seriously call me here again to ask me the same questions you've already asked?" Paige asked rudely, her patience for this Tanner woman completely gone. She was so smug, and always so calm, and it pissed her off beyond expression.

"No," Tanner replied, giving her a nasty smile. "We found the murder weapon."

"You want a fucking medal?"

"Paige," Veronica started warningly.

"Watch it," she snapped. "I really don't like your attitude."

"That makes us even, then."

Tanner glared at her. Paige smirked defiantly. This clown wasn't going to believe her regardless of what she said so she saw no point in being polite.

"Don't you want to know what it is? Or do you already know?"

"I have no idea," she replied impatiently. "Why don't you tell me?"

"A brass candlestick. With fingerprints all over it and blood that tested different from hers."

"Brass candlestick? From the beach house?" Veronica asked, unable to help her surprise. Paige closed her eyes.

"You know where this came from?"

"My husband and I own the beach house. But that's beside the point."

"Someone must have broken in," Paige replied. Tanner chuckled.

"I'm sure that's what you want me to believe."

"Jesus! Is this how you always do your job? Not bothering to actually look at different suspects and just picking one to harass?"

"Paige, calm down."

"No! This woman is a fu-."

"You're not helping yourself," Veronica told her softly. "I know you're upset. But please, try to control your temper."

Paige nodded, clenching her teeth. Tanner's smug face literally made her see red.

"We would like to test your blood and take your fingerprints. And if you're not willing, we can easily force you."

"Oh, I would absolutely love to. Then you can realize how wrong you are and the fact you've wasted a fucking week on nothing."

"Very well," she replied. "First thing tomorrow morning. Is there anything else you would like to say before you leave?"

"Oh, there's a lot I'd like to say. But I'll wait until I'm officially cleared before I do," she replied sweetly. She stormed out of the room, Veronica on her heels. She knew she was going to get a lecture. She knew where Spencer got her personality from.

"I know she's getting to you, Paige. And I don't like the way she talks to you. But you really have to control yourself in there. The angrier you get, the more it will make her talk to you like you're a criminal."

"I know," she sighed, closing her eyes. "It's just so frustrating. They brought me in convinced I had done it and they haven't even given anyone else a second thought. Which mean the person who really did this is out there thinking they got away with it."

"I know, Paige. But these tests will prove you didn't do it and then they can start looking for who really did."

"I wouldn't count on it. They're a bunch of idiots here."

"They certainly aren't the best precinct I've ever seen. Go back to the house, okay? Try to rest. This will be over soon."

She and Emily went back to the beach house. Toby and Spencer were pulling up at almost the same time, and after helping them bring their bags inside, Paige filled them in on what had just happened at the station.

"Wait. So, the murder weapon came from here?" Spencer asked, her eyes wide.

"Yup. One of the candlesticks from the kitchen."

"What the f…. heck? I never noticed one was missing."

"We never used them," Toby reminded her. "How would we have noticed?"

"Anyway, there are fingerprints and someone else's blood all over it. So I'm really hoping when they test me tomorrow they'll finally admit it wasn't me."

"After they wasted a whole week with their thumbs up their asses," Toby added.

"So….. do you think it could have been one of us?" Spencer asked. Paige shook her head.

"No. Noel and Hanna had no motive. And the rest of you… I know you didn't like her, but that doesn't mean you killed her. Everyone has people they don't like."

"I thought she was a bitch with a lot of nerve," Spencer agreed. "But I would never think of hurting anyone like that." Toby nodded in agreement.

"Then that leaves me, Emily, Mona, and Caleb. Obviously I know I didn't do it, and I know Emily didn't do it."

"And Mona's one hundred pounds soaking wet," Emily added. "There's no way she would have had the strength to…. do the damage that was done. She's not tall enough, either."

"She's right," Paige agreed. "Shana was tall. Whoever did it had to be just as tall or taller."

"What about Caleb?"

"I've known Caleb a long time. He isn't a killer. And like I said, he didn't hate her that much. He hated how she treated me, but it's not like she ever physically hurt me or anything. I don't think anyone here hated her enough to want her dead. I know my friends."

"So… that means someone broke in here?"

"I think so," Emily replied. "We think it was that person we kept seeing on the beach at night. Remember, Toby, how you found the glove?"

"Yeah."

"We think that's Shana's killer. And if they were hanging around here watching us, they would have known when we weren't there, and they could have come in and stolen the candlestick."

"Wait," Toby cut in. "There was never any sign of forced entry. How would they have gotten in?"

"He's right," Spencer agreed. "We always kept the doors and windows locked."

"Do you have an extra key here or something?" Paige asked. Spencer's face paled.

"Under the doormat."

"Spencer!" Toby exclaimed. "That's so obvious!"

"Is still there?" Emily asked. Spencer bit her lip.

"I'm afraid to look," she confessed, standing up. "But I guess I have to."

They waited anxiously as Spencer went outside. When she came back she didn't look happy.

"It isn't there," she reported. "Someone took it."

"That's great," Emily replied, running her hand over her hair. "So, whoever this is can get in here whenever they want."

"Any chance the police would listen to you if you went and told them this?" Spencer laughed.

"No. They haven't even questioned any of you, when technically you all have a motive. They're so intent on framing me for this and I don't know why."

"They haven't even questioned Emily?" Spencer asked.

"Nope."

"Seems like she has an even better motive than you."

"That's what I said," Emily agreed. "But she's right. Other than the statements they took from us here the day it happened, they haven't talked to anyone other than Paige."

"What does my mom think about this?" Spencer asked.

"She's not happy about it. She said she's never seen such unprofessional work before."

"It's weird," Emily agreed. "It makes me wonder if there's something else going on."

"Okay. What are we going to do about the key?" Spencer asked. "If you're right, and this person killed Shana, they have a key to this house. They can get in whenever we want."

"Have you seen them since you've gotten back?" Toby asked.

"No. But Emily thought she heard someone knocking on the door last night," Paige replied. "There wasn't anyone there, though."

"Paige, you want to come with me to the hardware store down town?" Toby asked. "We could get chain locks."

"Should we leave them here?"

"We'll be fine," Spencer assured her. "We have a gun."

Paige's mouth dropped open as Emily stared.

"What? It's locked in the safe in the basement. No one else even knows it's here."

"Well… okay," Paige agreed reluctantly. She kissed Emily softly. "I'll see you in a little bit. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"We'll be quick," Toby promised, pulling Spencer in for a kiss. "Don't open the door for anyone."

"Sure, Mom," she replied, grinning. He smiled back.

"Funny. We'll see you guys in a half hour."

Once they had left, Spencer closed and locked the door behind them, although she wasn't sure if it would do them any good. If whoever was lurking around had a key, that wouldn't stop them from getting in.

"How's she holding up?" Spencer asked. Emily shrugged.

"Okay, I guess. I just feel so bad for her. She's hurting so much and I feel like there's nothing I can do."

"She's certainly had it tough," Spencer agreed. "She hasn't even had time to mourn Shana because she's being accused of her murder."

"I know. I just don't understand why they're so convinced she did it. They have no evidence against her."

"Because they're desperate and obviously very stupid."

"Isn't that the truth."

"Oh, and one more thing."

"What?"

"You are helping. I know you want to help with proving she didn't do it, but you're helping her by standing by her. She's always needed someone to anchor her, and you do that."

"Thanks," Emily replied. "And thank you for coming back."

"What are friends for?"


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I'm so glad you guys are getting so into the story! I love seeing your analysis. Thank you so much for all your great feedback!**

"Do you think they're okay there?" Paige asked anxiously. She and Toby were standing in Home Depot, looking at locks. She was anxious about leaving Emily and Spencer in a house that a potential killer had access to.

"I'm sure they're fine, Paige. I doubt anyone would be dumb enough to break into a house while it's still light out."

"But it's getting later," she replied, anxiously shifting her position. "They might think no one's there."

"If they're watching and they saw us leave, I think they can figure out Emily and Spencer are still there."

"We shouldn't have left them alone," she replied, her panic starting to get the best of her. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Emily's number, trying to calm herself before she had a full blown panic attack in the middle of the store.

"Hello?"

"Emily? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Why?"

"I just…. I shouldn't have left you. I'll be back soon, I promise."

"Paige, honey, we're fine. Take your time."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. Don't worry."

"We'll be back soon," she repeated. "I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay."

She reluctantly hung up. She knew she was probably overreacting, but she couldn't help herself. She couldn't even let herself think of what might happen if the killer showed up while Emily was there.

"Toby, can we please go?"

"I'm ready," he replied. "It will take us two minutes to pay and then I promise, we're out of here."

* * *

"That was Paige," Emily reported, hanging up. She and Spencer were on the second floor, sitting on the bed Spencer and Toby were sharing. "Panicking about leaving us here alone."

"She's such a dork," Spencer replied. "That's so like her, though. Always worried about everyone."

"I know. She gets so worked up."

"Is she still taking the Prozac?"

"Yeah. I think it must be helping to some degree."

"I'm sure it is. Hopefully this blood test will get her cleared."

"It better," Emily replied. "There's no way her blood could have ended up on there, right? Like, there's no way someone could have planted it?"

"I doubt it. I'm sure they won't be a match."

Emily nodded. She hoped so, too. But she was afraid that there would be some way for them to keep harassing her girlfriend.

"Looks like another storm is coming," Spencer remarked, glancing out the window. Sure enough, dark clouds were rolling in slowly. The wind was beginning to pick up, throwing sand at the back windows. "I hope they get back soon."

"Yeah," Emily agreed. It looked ominous outside and she knew how much Paige hated storms, so she was hoping they got back soon. She looked out of the window at the beach. The waves were definitely rougher than before, and there were few people left. They would probably all start leaving as the storm got closer. "I think… what was that?"

Spencer froze at Emily's words. The door had opened downstairs, and heavy footsteps had started across the wooden floor. It sounded like only one person was down there, and no one was talking. It couldn't be Paige and Toby.

"Who… are they back?" Spencer whispered. Emily shook her head.

"I don't think that's them," she whispered back. She crept towards the door and closed it quietly, locking it. The footsteps were growing louder. "Call 9-1-1."

"Are we sure it isn't them?" Spencer asked, her eyes wide with fear.

"Call the police, Spencer!"

Spencer grabbed her phone and dialed with shaking fingers. Emily's heart was pounding, her stomach sinking in horror as the footsteps started up the stairs.

"Fuck!" she hissed. "Quick! Under the bed!"

They slid under the bed, huddling together as Spencer whispered their address to the person on the other line. The footsteps were walking towards them now. Emily closed her eyes, trying to keep as quiet as she could. If something happened to them she knew Paige would never forgive herself, and she couldn't take any more heart break. She had to fight, if not for herself then for her.

The door knob began to shake. She heard Spencer gasp beside her. Whoever was out there was trying to get in.

"They know we're here," she whispered. "Oh my God."

"Shh!"

It was all they could do not to scream when the person on the other side of the door kicked it. They did it again. And again. They were trying to break the door down.

_We're going to die_, Emily thought. There was nothing they had to defend themselves with. Once the door was broken down, they were done.

Suddenly, the sound of sirens filled the air. The kicking stopped, and both women exhaled a sigh of relief as the footsteps began running down the stairs. The door slammed downstairs, and they both crawled out from under the bed, unlocking the door and running down the stairs as they heard a male voice shouting from downstairs.

"Police!"

"Thank God," Spencer gasped as the young male officer came into view. She sank onto the bottom step, burying her face in her hands as Emily continued towards him on shaky legs.

"Did you see them?" she asked shrilly. "They just ran out!"

"Calm down, miss," the officer replied. "My partner is pursuing him. Are you alright?"

"I think so," Emily replied. Her fear and adrenaline had worn off, leaving her feeling shaky and weak.

"I'm Officer Holbrook. I'm going to ask you some quest-."

"Emily!" Paige exclaimed and she and Toby came bursting into the house. She ran to Emily and threw her arms around her as Toby sat next to Spencer on the stairs. "What happened? Why are the police here? Are you okay? I knew I shouldn't have left you alone."

"It's okay," she replied, relieved at having Paige by her side. "I'm okay."

"You're Paige McCullers," Officer Holbrook cut in. She turned to glare at him.

"Yes. Are you going to help my girlfriend or insist this is somehow my fault?"

"Miss McCullers, I'm not here to accuse you of anything. I received a call for an intruder. We saw someone run out of the house and my partner is following them. I just want to ask your girlfriend what happened."

"Not much, really," Emily replied, suddenly feeling like bursting into tears. "We were upstairs and we heard someone walking around. We locked ourselves in and hid under the bed and they started kicking at the door. And then when they heard the sirens I guess they ran."

"I never should have left," Paige whispered, holding Emily tightly. "I'm so, so sorry."

"It's not your fault. Please don't feel guilty."

"Of course I do. If something had happened to you…" She trailed off as her eyes filled with tears. Emily kissed her gently.

"It's okay. I promise."

"You didn't see the intruder, miss?"

"No. No, we didn't see."

"There's no sign of forced entry. The door was open when I got here, but nothing was broken."

"They have a key," Spencer explained. "We keep a spare one under the mat at the back door. It's missing."

"I see." He wrote something down on his notepad. "Well, I'm afraid there's not much I can do for you. I'll check in with Officer Chadwick and see if she's caught up to him. But in the mean time, I suggest you change the locks."

"Thank you," Emily replied softly. Officer Holbrook left a few moments later, leaving them alone. Emily turned to Paige. "Paige? Really, I'm okay."

"We shouldn't have left. Emily, if something had happened-."

"Nothing did happen," she cut in. "We're both okay. Maybe now with that on record it will get them thinking that there's someone else involved in Shana's murder."

Paige sighed, burying her face in Emily's shoulder. She knew they shouldn't have left. Shana's killer was still out there and looking to do what it took to make sure the cops didn't go looking further.

"I think it's time we install those locks," Toby announced. "Paige?"

"Yeah," she agreed, reluctantly pulling away from Emily.

"They can't get in through the windows, can they?" Emily asked.

"Not without breaking them. They could only get inside so easily because they had a key," Toby replied. "We'll get this solved, Emily. Don't worry."

Paige and Toby installed the chain locks while Emily went with Spencer to the kitchen to make dinner. No one was hungry, and they mostly sat around the table in silence. Thunder rumbled in the distance and they could hear the wind outside.

"Nice night," Toby remarked sarcastically. The others stared at him. "It was a joke."

"Should we get the gun from the safe?" Spencer asked.

"No. We're all on edge. The last thing we need is to accidentally shoot one of us."

"I don't think they'll come back tonight," Emily added. "I don't think they would risk it."

"Let's hope," Spencer agreed. "That was really, really scary."

"I'm sorry," Toby replied, taking her hand. "Paige is right. We shouldn't have left you here."

"What I'm wondering is if they knew we were here. Did they think we were gone? Or… did they want to hurt us?"

"But, why?" Paige asked. "That doesn't make sense."

"Maybe they thought you were here," Spencer suggested. The table fell silent. "It makes sense. If they can get to her and make it look like she did it herself…. that helps them."

"We're not going to let that happen," Emily cut in sharply. "When Paige takes these tests she'll be cleared. Then maybe we can leave and this psycho will be left behind here."

* * *

"I hope these results come back soon," Paige remarked, rubbing her arm. "And these idiots can see how badly they fucked up."

"It's almost over," Emily agreed, pulling her in for a hug. "You want to go get something to eat?"

"Are you sure it's a good idea for us to be out and about?"

"Why not?"

"Because people think I'm a murderer, Emily. You should have seen the looks I was getting in Home Depot yesterday."

"Who gives a shit what they think?"

"I do."

"You shouldn't. You did nothing wrong. Show them you're not afraid."

Paige nodded. Emily was right. She hadn't been strong all her life to cower now.

"You're right," she agreed. "Fuck them."

"There's the potty mouth I know," Emily chuckled, kissing her. "Come on. I'm starving."

They settled on a diner down the street from the police station. To their pleasant surprise, people didn't even seem to give them a second look. They sat in a booth near the back, able to have privacy from the rest of the rowdy and hungry customers. Paige seemed happy today, for the first time in a while. Emily knew she was in high spirits because the tests she had taken would prove she hadn't done it. She didn't know why, but she had an uneasy feeling that it wasn't going to be that simple. She didn't share that with Paige of course; she was grateful to finally see her smile.

"This is nice," she remarked. "I'm glad we came here."

"Me, too," she agreed, taking her hand. "This will be quite the story to tell, huh?"

"You can say that again. I can't… oh."

"What?" Emily asked, turning to see what Paige was staring at. There was a girl with long, brown hair sitting at the counter, her profile visible. "Paige?"

"I think that's Jenna."

"What? How do you know that?"

"The picture Toby showed me. That's definitely her."

"Don't even think about it, Paige."

"We have to talk to her."

"No! Please, don't," she begged as the girl turned and looked at them. She slid off of the stool and made her way towards them. "Shit!"

"Stay calm and let me do the talking," Paige replied, her heart pounding as Jenna Marshall approached their table.


	14. Chapter 14

"Paige McCullers?" she asked. Paige nodded, looking her over. She turned her attention to Emily. "And, you are?"

"Emily Fields," she replied softly.

"I'm Jenna." She swallowed hard, her eyes filling with tears. "Shana's girlfriend."

"I'm sorry," Paige replied, half expecting her to flip the table over and start accusing her. But to her surprise, Jenna nodded, giving her a sad smile.

"Thank you."

"Is there anything we can help you with?"

"I just want to talk to you," she explained. "Can I sit?"

Paige looked at Emily, who nodded. Jenna sat down, taking a deep breath.

"I want to start off by saying I don't think you did it, Paige."

"What?" Paige asked, her eyes widening.

"I don't think you hurt her. She loved you so much. I knew I was a replacement while she tried to win you back, but…. anyway, the way she talked about you… I believe that you really cared about her."

"Of course I did. And what she did hurt, but I could never…. I would never hurt someone like that."

"I don't know what she told you about me. Maybe that I could be a little possessive. I guess that was true, because I was afraid she was going to leave me."

"Do you know who might have killed her?" Paige blurted. Emily nudged her. "Uh… sorry."

"No, it's okay. I came to talk to you about Lieutenant Tanner, actually."

"What about her?" Paige asked curiously.

"I've heard she's been giving you a hard time and they haven't looked at anyone else. All the local headlines are about what a cold blooded killer you are."

"What a fucking surprise."

"Anyway….. there's something you really need to know. And I'm not sure if I could be in danger for knowing this."

"What?" Paige asked excitedly. "Please, you have to tell us anything you know."

"Okay." Jenna closed her eyes a moment. Paige and Emily stared at her. "Shana and Tanner….. they… they were having a thing," she finally told them. Emily choked on her sandwich as Paige's mouth dropped open.

"_What_? When was this?"

"Recently. While she was with me. I found out and confronted her about it. She didn't try to make excuses. She wasn't happy with me and I knew it."

"That cheating….. holy shit. I'm sorry. I know what that feels like."

"She really did seem to care about you, for what it's worth."

"Yeah, well, she discovered that too late. What about her and Tanner? Were they together when she died?"

"I don't know. She told me they had gotten into an argument because Tanner wanted Shana to end things with me. She refused, and she said they weren't speaking at the time. That was the last thing I heard about it before she died."

The table was silent. Emily looked at Paige, who literally looked like she was about to explode.

"So you're saying Tanner is trying to royally fuck me over because she would be considered a suspect if the cops really got into it?"

"Yes."

"That fucker!" she exclaimed. "It all makes sense now. I have enough of an alibi that she can keep them from digging. So they don't find out she had an affair with her. What a fucking bitch."

"Do you think maybe she killed her?" Emily asked. Jenna shrugged.

"I think it's very possible."

"We have to go tell Officer Holbrook," Emily replied, standing up. Paige shook her head, pulling her back down.

"No. We can use this."

"How? Paige, you're not going to blackmail-."

"Of course not. But I can tell Veronica and if she tries anything with this DNA test…. I don't believe this," she sighed, burying her face in her hands. "She's willing to ruin my life just so her affair isn't discovered?"

"Makes you wonder what she's hiding," Emily agreed.

"I don't fucking believe this."

"Thank you, Jenna," Emily told her. "Really. And I'm so sorry."

"Thank you," Jenna replied, standing up. "I hope it helps."

They watched in silence as she walked away. Then they turned their attention towards each other, staring until Paige started to laugh.

"That fucking scum bag. Trying to absolutely ruin my life just to cover her own tracks."

"It certainly explains a lot."

"Well, this isn't staying hidden," she replied cheerfully, standing up. "Come on. Let's head back and come up with ideas we can fuck her over with this."

"Paige….."

"She deserves it, Emily. This could be my ticket to freedom."

Emily couldn't argue with that. Secretly she wanted to see this woman's career ruined too after what she had put her girlfriend through. This wasn't just someone doing their job and they happened to be caught up in it. This was someone purposely trying to send an innocent woman to jail to cover herself.

"I just can't get over this," Paige remarked, staring out the window. She and Emily were back in the beach house, sitting in their room. Emily laid down on the bed, still in shock herself from the news.

"I know. How many people did she cheat on?"

"A lot. At least now I know it wasn't just me."

"It sounds like she cared about you the most."

"Maybe as most as she was capable of caring. I guess she didn't move back to Pennsylvania. When you saw her….. she must have gone all the way there to talk to me."

"Didn't she tell you she thought she was in danger?"

"Yeah. Would have been nice if she had said who."

"Do you still think it could be Jenna?"

"Maybe. She could have been jealous that Shana was having an affair and she didn't seem to love her."

"That makes sense. But I don't think she did it. Why would she tell us about Tanner?"

"To get the attention off herself?"

"Oh. I guess that makes sense."

Paige sighed, lying down next to Emily. She felt bad admitting it, but she secretly felt better knowing Shana had cheated on every single one of her lovers after her as well. Some people were just dishonest, and Shana was one of them.

"If the DNA test doesn't clear me, this will," she assured Emily, turning to face her. "I actually feel good right now."

"I am so glad to hear that," Emily replied, kissing her softly. "I love you so much, Paige."

"I love you, too," she whispered, pulling her in closer. She kissed her passionately, her hands sliding under Emily's shirt. "Can I make love to you?"

"Always," she whispered back, closing her eyes as she felt Paige's neck.

They were naked in no time, their bodies pressed together as Paige began kissing her way down Emily's stomach. She sighed, threading her fingers through Paige's hair as she began to lick at her center. This was easily the most relaxed she had felt in days, and she hadn't realized how badly she had needed the release until now. The feeling of pleasure was overwhelming her, her moans growing louder and louder as Paige brought her closer and closer to climax. She came hard, crying out Paige's name as her orgasm coursed through her. Paige brought her down gently before moving up to kiss her mouth, stroking her cheek softly. They gazed at each other, eyes full of love and passion.

"I love you," Paige told her. Emily smiled, her chest heaving as her breathing slowly returned to normal.

"I love you too, baby," she replied, touching her face.

"It's been a crazy week, huh?"

"You can say that again. And I hate what you've had to go through. I just want you to know that I'm happy as long I'm with you."

"That's sweet," she replied, her eyes filling with tears. "Emily… your standing behind me this whole time has….. I can't put into words how grateful I am. Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me, Paige. I trust you completely."

Paige kissed her, teasing her center before sliding two fingers inside of her. Emily groaned softly, fumbling around as she pushed her own fingers inside of Paige, feeling her warm wetness around her. Their gasps and moans mixed together as they pushed each other towards orgasm, the bed shaking so hard Emily briefly wondered if it was going to break. Spencer would surely be angry about that, but at the moment she didn't care about anything other than the woman above her.

"Fuck," Paige gasped, her eyes closed. "C-come for me, baby."

She did, and Paige followed close behind, collapsing onto Emily as the waves of pleasure washed over her. She had certainly needed that after the week she had been having. What Emily had said was true, though. Even with everything that had happened, Emily had been with her the whole time, and it was the only thing that had kept her from completely falling apart.

They laid side by side, eyes hooded as they held each other close. Emily leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Paige's forehead, a sleepy smile on her face.

"Have I ever told you how amazing you are in bed?"

"Once or twice. But I never get tired of hearing it."

"I'm so glad I met you."

"I'm glad I met you."

Emily sighed, snuggling up against her. She could feel Paige lightly stroking her hair, and it was only making her feel more tired.

"Nap?" she asked sleepily. Paige grunted a reply. "I'll take that as a yes."

* * *

It was close to midnight when Paige's cell phone rang, startling them both awake. She fumbled around for it, Emily leaning on her side as she rubbed sleep from her eyes.

"'Lo?" she asked sleepily. No one answered. She frowned, becoming more aware of what was happening as loud breathing started on the other end. "Who is this?"

"Babe?" Emily asked softly.

"Who is this?" she repeated. Still no answer. She hung up and placed the phone back on the table, laying back down. "Fucking asshole."

"Who was that?"

"No idea. But now I'm awake."

"No one answered?"

"No. Just someone breathing."

"Well, does it say who called?"

"Uh….. it's blocked," she replied, glancing through her calls. "I'm so tired of this."

"Do you think it's… the killer?"

"Why would they call here in the middle of the night?"

"To mess with us?"

"Em, I really don't know," Paige replied, closing her eyes. "Don't worry about it."

"Of course I'm worried. What if they're standing outside?"

"Honey, I highly doubt that."

But Emily didn't lie back down. She stayed sitting up, chewing anxiously on her lip. Paige sighed and got up.

"Do you want me to check?"

"No. It's fine. I just… I want to go home."

Paige sighed, her shoulders slumping. She felt horrible for Emily being stuck here, especially with all that had been happening. She had been here when a possible killer had broken into the house and she was scared. More than wanting this to be over for herself, she wanted it to be over for Emily.

"Baby, I know," she soothed, climbing back onto the bed. She took Emily into her arms, holding her close. "I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. This is just as awful for you as it is for me."

"Soon," she replied. "We can go home soon."

"I hope so."

"Trust me. It will be okay."

"If you out Tanner and Shana….. do you think they'll at least look into it?"

"They'll have to. If someone else takes over the case and does things right, they'll look at all of Shana's ex lovers. I mean, she cheated on every single one of us. She cheated on me with Nate, on Nate with Jenna, on Jenna with Tanner, and Tanner was pissed she wouldn't dump Jenna."

"She certainly got around," Emily agreed.

"Anyway, we should try to go back to sleep. I'm pretty tired."

"Okay," she replied, pulling the covers back over them. "Maybe we can have our relaxing vacation next summer."

"Sounds like a plan," Paige chuckled. She pulled Emily in close, and before long they had both drifted off to sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

"So," Paige asked smugly, folding her arms. She was sitting across from Tanner, Veronica at her side, after having been called in for the results of the blood and fingerprinting tests. "What did you find?"

"See, that's the interesting part," Tanner replied sweetly. The look on her face was starting to make Paige nervous. The confidence she had felt coming in was starting to slip away. If Tanner so desperately wanted to send her to jail for this crime, what if she somehow obtained falsified results? What if she found a way to make Paige look guilty?

_That's impossible_, she thought, watching as Tanner stood up. _She couldn't pull that off. Unless she got someone else to do it for her. I am so fucked._

"Can you tell us what you're getting at?" Veronica asked impatiently.

"Certainly. Interestingly enough, Paige's results were tampered with. The lab could not send us the results we need to match them with those on the murder weapon."

"_What_?" Paige exclaimed. Tanner smirked.

"Well, then she needs to take the test again."

"This was no accident. Someone broke into the lab and damaged the entire section of samples hers were contained in." She paused, watching gleefully as it sunk in. Paige's mouth dropped open. "Were you at the lab, Paige? Did you know that your samples would be a match?"

"No, I swear I-."

"Did you think tampering with police evidence in a murder investigation was a smart thing to do?"

"Of course not, I didn't-."

"Do you know what a crime that is? It's serious. But then again, so is murder."

"Are you accusing my client of breaking into the lab?" Veronica snapped.

"Yes, I am. I find it highly coincidental that the locker containing her results was the one damaged. We have seen that happen before. When a criminal wants-."

"I didn't go near your fucking lab! I don't even know where it is!"

"A likely story."

"I'll take the test again. I didn't touch those results."

"The murder weapon is missing. Surely you know that."

"That isn't true. It can't be," she replied, her stomach sinking. Her only out was being destroyed right before her very eyes.

She was panicking. If Tanner was telling the truth, it certainly didn't look good. They had no proof she did it, but they had no reason to think otherwise.

"I hope you are aware, Paige," Tanner started, leaning against her desk as she stood in front of her. "That if your father wasn't who he is you would be in jail right now."

"Now, you can't-."

"Then arrest me!" she blurted, stopping Veronica in mid sentence. They both gaped at her. "You are doing everything in your power to send me to jail for a crime I didn't commit and it's only a matter of time. So just save us both the trouble and do it."

"Paige, stop it," Veronica pleaded. "Don't let her intimidate you."

"I'm tired," she replied, in such a panic she wasn't thinking clearly even slightly. "No matter what I do she's going to say I did it."

"Do not tell her to-."

"Are you just going to fucking stand there?" she snapped, holding out her wrists. She didn't know what she was doing but she couldn't seem to stop herself. She was telling this woman to put her in jail. Away from Emily, and even more in the public eye. What was she doing? Emily. The thought of Emily cleared her mind, even if just for a moment. And that was when she remembered she had one last thing to try. "I just have one question first," she continued calmly. Veronica stared at her, as if she was waiting for her to go completely ballistic. "Does anyone here know about your affair with Shana?"

Veronica's mouth dropped open as Tanner's face paled. Her mouth hung slightly open as she tried to come up with a response. Paige sat in her chair, smirking, the pounding of her heart slowing as she realized she had gotten her. Maybe she couldn't be officially cleared, but they would surely have to look into other people now and she wasn't in any immediate danger of being sent to jail.

"How….. that isn't true," she replied shakily. Paige laughed coldly.

"Yeah, it is. And according to her girlfriend, who knows all about your relationship with her, she said you two had quite the argument before she died. You know Jenna Marshall, don't you?"

The room was silent. Even Veronica had nothing to say as Tanner stood frozen, unable to speak.

"This is why you've been so focused on getting me locked up. I have the perfect motive, and it keeps the attention away from you. If I get locked away for her murder, no one questions you and no one finds out that you had a pretty damn good motive, too." She stood up, smiling sweetly at her. "If you don't mind, I think Officer Holbrook would like to hear about this. Thank you for your unprofessional time. I'd say I'd sue you for the way you treated me, but I think you're pretty fucked already."

Without another word, she walked out of the office, still feeling panicked but not helpless. Emily anxiously rose out of her chair, puzzled as Paige walked right past her. She followed her, wondering what had happened and why she looked like she was in a trance.

"Paige!"

"We need to talk to someone about Tanner and Shana," she replied. "She fucked with my results and now the murder weapon mysteriously disappeared. She was going to try and say I did it."

"Oh, Paige….."

"So no, I'm not clear. But things have to get better once it's known that she had an equally good motive for Shana's murder."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So… you're claiming Lieutenant Tanner had an affair with the victim and then sabotaged you to prevent that from coming out?" Officer Holbrook asked. His partner, Officer Chadwick, looked absolutely stunned.

"I'm not claiming. I'm telling," Paige replied. "Have you even talked to Jenna Marshall? She has all the information on it."

"Hmm," Holbrook replied. He looked at them a moment before nodding and standing up. "You do realize what serious allegations these are, Miss McCullers? If it is true that she was tampering with evidence to sabotage you, and withholding information on a murder investigation, that is a very serious crime."

"I know. But you have to admit it makes sense, Officer. I mean, who ever heard of a murder investigation where only one person is held as a suspect? Especially when there are at least three other people that have a motive."

"Three?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Did Tanner even talk to Shana's family about people who may have wanted to hurt her? No, of course she didn't," she answered before he could. "There are a lot of people in this town that had a reason to hurt her. And she only talked to me, without caring if I did it or not, because she thought if she got someone arrested for it her relationship with her would never be found out."

"I get your point," he replied, holding up his hand. "I hope you understand that in light of what happened with your results we cannot officially clear you yet. Detective Ackard will be taking over the case, and while she will need to question you, I promise that we will be looking into other people as well and you will be treated fairly. If, in fact, you did not do it, you have nothing to worry about."

"Thank you," she replied. It wasn't what she had been hoping for last night, but it was better than where she would be if she hadn't told someone at the station about Tanner. There was no doubt in her mind that eventually Tanner would have found a way to put her in jail, and that terrified her. Emily seemed to sense this and gave her hand a squeeze.

"Now, I can either send you to Detective Ackard's office now, or you can come back tomorrow. Which would you prefer?"

"Now. I want to get it over with."

"I don't blame you. Follow me."

He led them upstairs to an office in the corner. He knocked on the door before opening it and sending them in. Paige's mouth dropped open when she saw the young man sitting behind the desk.

"Sean?"

"Paige?" the young man asked in surprise. "I… wow."

"You know him?" Emily asked nervously. The last thing they needed was someone else to make things difficult for them.

"He was my boyfriend in high school," Paige replied. Emily groaned out loud. "No….. it wasn't like that."

"Paige and I stayed friends," Sean assured her, standing up. "Who is this?"

"Emily," she replied, smiling as she slid her arm around Emily's waist.

"Sorry. We can catch up another time," he told her, leaning against the desk. "I've vaguely heard about your case. Why don't you tell me your story from the beginning?"

**A/N: Sorry for the wait, guys! Things have been absolutely crazy lately. I also plan to have chapters of Silent Night and Holidays up soon. Thanks for sticking by these stories!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: So I know this chapter is pretty short but I have a lot of crap going on and I wanted to post something for you. Hope you enjoy!**

"You don't think he'll try to screw you over, do you?" Emily asked. It was later that night and she and Paige were back at the beach house in their room. Paige was sprawled on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as Emily paced back and forth.

"No, Em. I don't."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. We didn't have a bad falling out. We dated for a few weeks in high school. I told him I was gay then. He wasn't in love with me or anything."

"So, there's no hard feelings?"

"No. Trust me, Em. I'm much better off than I was."

"Okay," she replied, relaxing. She sat down next to Paige, sighing. "It's been a crazy couple weeks."

"You can say that again."

"I want you to know that until this all went south I had a lot of fun with you," Emily told her, moving in closer. Paige smiled.

"Thanks, Em. I just feel bad you've been stuck here all this time."

"Don't. I love spending time with you. Besides, you're the one who's been getting the short end of the stick."

"You can say that again," she sighed. "I think maybe it's almost over. It has to be one of us. Shana's ex-lovers. And I know it wasn't me, so that leaves three."

"They'll figure it out, baby."

"My money's on Tanner."

"Just because she tried to sabotage you doesn't mean she did it. She just might have wanted to keep her affair from being uncovered."

"Maybe."

"Paige?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you," Emily told her, moving in close. Paige kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, too."

"I think maybe we should do something to unwind," Emily continued, pulling Paige into her arms. She kissed her gently, sliding her hands under her shirt.

"I'd never say no to that," Paige replied, grinning. She pulled Emily down on top of her and let her take her.

Paige had fallen asleep in Emily's arms, but Emily was wide awake, listening to the rain pour down outside. All she could think about was the investigation and if they would ever be allowed to go home. She loved spending time with Paige anywhere of course, but the circumstances of this had been less than favorable. Especially with the pain she had been forced to see her poor girlfriend go through.

Maybe now that what Tanner had done had come to light, things would start improving. She could only hope. She looked down at Paige, smiling at the sight of her finally sleeping peacefully. She placed a small kiss on her forehead and closed her eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Last Year_

"_Are you serious?" Paige asked softly, her voice flat. Shana stood in front of her, arms folded and eyes dry. One would never know she had just told her girlfriend of three years that she had been cheating on her with a man._

"_Yes," Shana replied without emotion. Paige bit her lip, turning away. She had known she and Shana weren't meant to be. But she hadn't expected to be so betrayed._

_She swallowed hard, struggling to keep from giving into the tears. Her eyes were burning and there was a giant lump in her throat. She felt worthless, like she would never matter to anyone._

"_How long?" she finally asked after a long silence._

"_Five months."_

"_Five….. do you care about me at all? Did you?"_

"_Of course, Paige. I do, I love-."_

"_Don't you dare fucking say you love me!" she shouted, her anger finally overwhelming her. Here she was, in front of the woman she thought she could trust, having her intelligence insulted after finding out their relationship meant nothing._

"_Paige-."_

"_Stop. Just stop. You don't love me. You probably never did. Was I not good enough for you? Was my working my ass off to make you happy not good enough? What's so great about this guy, huh? What's so great about him that you decide to just take a shit on your girlfriend of three FUCKING years?"_

"_Calm down, Paige, I-."_

"_Don't tell me to calm down! You betrayed me and the least you can do is let me say what I'm feeling!" she shouted, the tears beginning to leak down her cheeks. "You are a cold hearted selfish bitch! You don't take anyone's feelings into consideration, not ever! I can't believe what we had meant so little to you that you were willing to throw it all away over some…. some guy!"_

"_Paige, please. Give me the chance to explain."_

"_Explain?" Paige laughed, shaking her head. Shana remained emotionless, staring at her with empty eyes. "You don't get to explain. You cheated. You cheated and I can't ever forget that. I may have a really shitty opinion of myself, but I have enough pride to know that you don't love me."_

"_What are you saying?"_

"_What do you fucking think I'm saying?" she shouted, grabbing her keys from the hook by the door. "We're done!"_

_She slammed the door hard behind her, breaking down into hysterical sobs as soon as she was outside. The one person who she thought actually valued her never had. She was back to being loser Paige, the girl everyone had taunted in high school. Those girls were all right. No one would ever care about her._

_Sniffing, she pulled out her cell phone. Caleb answered right away._

"_Paige?"_

"_Caleb?" she sniffed. "I need you to come get me. Please."_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Paige sat on the edge of the bed, her face buried in her hands. She had dreamed about their breakup, about their fight. The awful things she had said. It was one of the last times they had spoken. She knew that she had every right to be angry, but she felt guilty anyway. Shana hadn't deserved what had happened, and Paige kept thinking that her ex had died convinced she hated her. The thought made her physically ache with guilt and she closed her eyes as warm tears slid down her cheeks. Now that there was no longer the immediate threat of her going to jail, she couldn't stop thinking about Shana and the fact that she was actually gone. And worse than that, she couldn't even remember the last nice thing she had said to her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her face buried in her hands. "I'm so sorry. I forgive you, Shana. If you can hear me, I forgive you."


	17. Chapter 17

**So sorry for the wait! I have to admit I've been very busy with school (organic chemistry final coming up) and I've had writer's block with this story. Hopefully the ending was worth waiting for. Thank you for all the great feedback and sticking with the story!**

"Thank goodness we finally get to leave," Paige grumbled, slamming the trunk shut. She got into the driver's seat, yanking the seatbelt over herself. "I never want to come to this shit hole again."

"Paige, I'm so sorry," Emily replied gently, touching her arm. Paige smiled at her, nodding.

"I know. But you're the one thing that kept me sane. I don't know how I would have made it through this without you."

"I'll tell you how," Emily replied as Paige started the car. "You're brave. And so strong."

"I love you, Emily."

"I love you too, Paige."

They rode in a comfortable silence for a while, grateful to finally be going home. What had started as a relaxing vacation had turned into a nightmare, and they were both eager to get back to normalcy. Emily wasn't sure if Jenna had told them about Shana and Tanner to get attention off of herself or not, but she was thankful. If it hadn't been for her, Paige surely would have been arrested. She cringed at the thought.

"So, what's the first thing you want to do when we get home?" Emily asked. Paige smiled, her eyes focused on the road.

"A shower in our shower. With you."

"That sounds perfect," she agreed. She studied her girlfriend, unable to imagine the relief she must feel at having her name cleared. But the mystery was still unsolved. Of course she knew Paige hadn't killed Shana, but someone did. And they were getting away with it. "Paige?"

"Yeah?"

"Who do you think did it?"

Paige didn't answer right away. She bit her lip, not taking her eyes off of the road ahead of them.

"Honestly? I don't know. Any one of them is equally likely."

"Do you think Jenna told us about Tanner to draw attention away from herself?"

"It's possible. Or she really wanted to help."

"Why would she want to? We've never met her before."

"I don't know," Paige replied with a shrug. "Look, I'm sure they'll figure out who it is. In the mean time, let's just get the hell out of here."

They hadn't gotten very far when the check engine light flickered on. Paige groaned loudly. Just her luck.

"What's wrong?"

"The stupid check engine light is on," she sighed, pulling onto the side of the road. Emily looked around wildly.

"What are you doing?"

"Checking things out."

"Paige! You can't do that here! It's dark and there's no one around!"

"Em, honey, relax. It won't take me long."

"I'm sure it's fine," she continued shrilly. "Let's just go."

"Two seconds," Paige replied, getting out of the car. Emily shook her head. She watched as Paige went around to the front of the car, anxiously looking out for anyone who may be driving by. The area was completely remote; she didn't understand why Paige insisted on back roads. If they needed help, no one could come to their rescue.

She knew she was being ridiculous. Or, at least she hoped.

"Em? Is there a flashlight in the glove box?" Paige called. Emily opened the glove box and shook her head. "Fuck! I thought I put it back."

"Paige, please. I wanna go back."

"Just give me-."

"I'm scared," she added, because she knew Paige wouldn't be able to ignore that. Sure enough, her girlfriend sighed and closed the hood. She got back into the car.

"Okay. We'll go."

As she was sliding the key into the ignition, a car turned onto the street. The high beams were on, temporarily blinding both of them as it passed.

"What the hell?" Paige muttered. "Dumb fuck. What are they doing that for?"

The car stopped at the end of the street. It sat there, as if it weren't in the middle of the road where another car could be coming. Paige and Emily looked at each other, half in confusion and half in fear.

"Paige?"

"Emily," Paige whispered as a man got out of the car. "It's Nate."

"Is he-?"

"Shh," Paige replied, gripping her arm. "Act normal. It will be okay."

Nate rapped on the window. Paige rolled it down, regretting her decision to not step on the gas. But if he was the killer, it wouldn't look good for them to run away from him.

"Hi, Nate," she greeted him, smiling brightly. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you could help me," he replied. Paige's breath caught in her throat when she saw the glint of silver by his side. It was him.

"Sure," she replied cheerfully. The only thing they could do was pretend like they knew nothing and hope it was good enough.

"I'm almost out of gas. Is there any way you could give me a lift?"

"What about your car?" Emily asked. Paige elbowed her.

"Nate, we're actually on our way back to Pennsylvania. We'd love to help but-."

"But what?" he asked, smiling coldly at them. Paige swallowed hard.

"We really want to get home. It's late and-."

"Get out of the car," he replied.

"Why would I-?"

"Your check engine light is on, isn't it?" he asked smugly. "I'd get out if I were you."

Reluctantly, they did as they were told. Paige could feel Emily trembling next to her and she reached out to take her hand, silently promising it would be okay.

"So, it's you," Paige started. Emily stared at her. "What?"

"Yeah. It's me," he replied, showing them the knife.

"Why are you doing this?' Emily whimpered, her composure already fading. "We didn't know it was you! We could have just left, and you-."

"I'm not doing this because I thought you knew," he interrupted. "I'm doing this because you're the reason she left me."

"Me?" Paige squeaked. "What did I do? She cheated on me with you!"

"She always loved you. More than me. I was exciting at first, but all she wanted was you. When you broke up with her, we stayed together for weeks after. She wanted no one but you."

"What about Jenna? Tanner? Why just me?"

"They were substitutes. They meant nothing to her, just like me. But you. You were everything she wanted. And I hate you for taking her away from me."

"You took her away," Paige snapped, unsure of where her bravery (or stupidity) was coming from. "You killed her."

"Because of you!" he shouted. Emily whimpered.

"You don't have to do this, Nate," Paige told him as he took a step closer. "Just let us leave. They won't be able to prove it was you."

"I can't. I have to kill you, Paige. And I'm going to kill her, too."

As he lunged at Emily Paige grabbed him, throwing him to the ground. He yelped in pain as his head hit the pavement, but he wasn't down long before he was wrestling with her. The knife flew from his hands, landing right in front of Emily.

"Emily! The knife!" she exclaimed, struggling to keep him down. Emily picked it up, shaking so badly she almost dropped it.

"What do I do?"

His fist connected with her face, knocking her off him. She cried out in pain, falling onto the asphalt as he reached for her. She kicked him, hard, but it didn't stop him.

"Emily!"

"Get off her!" Emily shouted, tears pouring down her face. "GET OFF!"

What happened next was a blur. Nate reached for Paige's throat, and before Emily could even register what was happening, she was plunging the knife into his back. His eyes widened and his mouth opened in surprise. Paige wiggled out from under him as blood began to spill from his mouth. He collapsed, making one last attempt to grab Paige as he went down. Emily dropped the knife, shaking, covering her mouth with her hands. She was watching someone die. Because of her.

"Paige," she whispered. Paige pulled her into her arms, trembling just as badly as she was. Nate had gone completely still.

"Em."

"I killed him," she whispered.

"You had to," she replied, seeing how pale her girlfriend looked. "Emily, he would have killed me. And you, too. You had to."

"I killed him," she repeated.

Paige held her, unsure of what else to say. She knew that Emily had done what she had to, but at the same time she had watched another human being die because of her. And she didn't know what she could say to make it better.

"It's over," she offered. "I promise."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They were finally able to return to Pennsylvania. Emily had a rough time at first, waking up screaming nearly every night for the first few weeks. Paige convinced her to talk to Spencer, who referred her to Dr. Kingston for medication. As the time passed she became more of her old self again, something Paige was very grateful for. She had been very worried that Emily wouldn't recover, but both Spencer and Dr. Kingston assured her that she would. It would just take time, love, and patience.

That was exactly what she gave her. She loved Emily more than she had ever thought it was possible to love someone, and she wanted nothing more than for her to not be so tortured anymore. After all, Nate hadn't really given her a choice. Deep down she thought Emily knew that, and eventually she would be okay.

Two months later, around the start of the new school year, Emily was much better. She was happy again, and she was eager to go out on dates and with their friends. The night before the start of the new semester, Paige took her to their favorite Italian restaurant. She had something very important to ask, something she had been wanting to ask for a while but the timing just hadn't seemed right. But now, with Emily happy and cheerful again, it was.

"I love this place so much," Emily sighed, leaning against her girlfriend. "It's our place."

"It is," Paige agreed. "I thought it was the perfect place to celebrate the start of a new school year."

"Yes."

"And hopefully something else," she continued, getting up. Emily looked at her as she pulled a velvet box out of her pocket and got down on one knee. Her eyes widened. "Emily Fields, I love you so, so much. I could go on for hours about the reasons why. I want to make you happy every day forever, if you will let me. Will you be my wife?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed right away, and the entire restaurant erupted into cheers. She dropped to her knees and pulled Paige into her arms, sobbing. "Yes….. I love you so much, Paige. So much."

Paige was crying too as she slid the ring onto Emily's finger. The love of her life had agreed to marry her.

"I love you too, Emily," she whispered, holding her close. "I always will."


End file.
